The Puppet and the Puppeteer
by fujioka44
Summary: When a young, stoic girl arrives in Konoha, her story begins to unfold. Placed in a squad with two other unique girls and an odd jounin sensei, how will her fate intertwine with others? Sasuke x OC x Gaara. Kiba x OC. Shikamaru x OC. Kakashi x OC. COMPLETE!
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: **Hola. Call me Bond. Paige Bond.

NAH! :)

Anyway, this is my first story, so please send me constructive critizism? Critizisism? Critisim?

Criticism. Got it.

Btw, this WILL be a romance story, it'll just take a while.

I know I'm starting off a litte quick, making her graduate so soon, but there's a lot of things to cover, so I just decided to go a little faster than I normally do!

If some of you who have quizilla accounts recognize this as my friend Charlie's work, then you're very observant. I was given permission to remake this story and Charlie is even pitching in!

We have some cool characters in store and I hope you all enjoy~!

Read and Review, onegai! :D

_Italic= thoughts/dreams/flashbacks_

* * *

><p><em>The infant's wails were loud and bounced off the smooth, marble walls. <em>

_The maid's pleas for silence fell upon deaf ears as the babe continued to scream louder. _

_The small woman rocked the child in her arms, attempting to calm her with a tune. _

"_Rika."_

_In sheer terror, she turned quickly, yet cautiously, not forgetting the child in her arms. _

_In the archway of the babe's room, stood the queen, dressed in beautiful red silk with a jeweled crown resting on her head. _

_Her blue eyes were filled with compassion._

"_Lady Arisu!" The maid gasped, "I apologize for her cries! She is uneasy and restless!" _

_The queen drifted to the smaller woman and held her arms out._

_Rika immediately obeyed the unspoken demand and gently laid the babe in Arisu's arms. _

_Slowly, the child opened her bright, glossy, emerald eyes to stare up at her mother with her bottom lip poking out (evidence of her tantrum). _

_The queen caressed the child's face with a gentle smile. _

_The maid stood awkwardly to the side, awaiting orders._

"_Rika," Arisu grinned, "you can go back to your quarters."_

_Not wishing to argue, the servant scurried off with a bow, glancing over her shoulder to see the queen singing a soft tune to her baby, whose eyes were closed in peace. _

* * *

><p>"Everyone!"<p>

Umino Iruka said loudly, despite the fact that the only one being obnoxiously loud was Naruto.

"I have an announcement!" He said cheerfully.

The spiky-haired blonde stuck his tongue out.

"Boring!"

A vein grew on Iruka's forehead.

"Naruto! BE QUIET! There's a new student today!" He yelled.

So much for his patience.

The blonde raised an eyebrow with obvious curiosity.

_There, _Iruka smugly smiled, _that shut him up. _

He cleared his throat. "As I was saying, there's a new student today and I want you all to act your best, okay?" He asked.

"Hai, sensei" was the deadpanned reply from the class.

A little off cue, a girl, perhaps Naruto's height (minus his spiky hairdo) walked into the room. Eyes immediately widened.

She looked like a doll someone had dropped in a bucket of white paint. Her skin, eyes, eyelashes, and hair were all as white as snow. She looked drained of color; a coloring book page that had been forgotten. Her clothes were of a traditional nature, a kimono with baggy sleeves and a skirt with a large 'V' to show her pale legs and wooden sandals that clacked when she walked. She walked to Iruka's side and turned to face the other students with an expression that gave a whole new meaning to the word 'blank'.

"My name is Kotone Kimiko."

No one could process the emptiness in her voice. It was aloof, but.. dead seemed more like it. Unlike the normal student who would add 'It's nice to meet you all', Kotone decided that was all that was needed in her introduction.

"Er, uh, thank you, Kotone. Please take a seat wherever you like" Iruka smiled.

The small girl bowed low to him before walking carefully to an empty desk in the front. All eyes were on her as she sat, her geta* giving one final clack before silence engulfed the room.

_She's so weird looking! What is she wearing? _Sakura thought, raising an eyebrow.

_ Who.. is she?_ Sasuke thought, keeping a straight face.

_ She's_..._ weird. _Naruto thought, his curious, big blue eyes not leaving the pale child.

The class continued like usual. Surprisingly, the girl was the quietest one in the class. Actually, it wasn't _too_ much of a surprise. She didn't take notes, and didn't let her lifeless eyes leave Iruka. It was kind of creepy. When class was dismissed for lunch, she stayed in the room and stared at the board. After Iruka processed the fact that she wasn't moving, he moved to stand in front of her.

"Is there something wrong, Kotone?" He asked.

She looked up to meet his eyes and replied, "No, sensei."

_At least she isn't disobedient and impolite like Naruto, _Iruka thought positively.

"All right.. Well, if there's anything that's bothering you, you can tell me" He said, turning around before adding, "You should go to lunch."

When he heard no reply, he turned around, only to find that no one was there.

* * *

><p>All the gossip at lunch was about Kotone, the new freaky student. Ino complained that she was weird and needed more color in her clothes. Sakura nodded vigorously in agreement. Shikamaru and Choji didn't seem to care. Naruto sat, alone, wondering about his new classmate.<p>

When Kotone herself appeared outside, with no lunch, there were more whispers.

_Where is her lunch? _

_What is she doing? _

_Ew, look at her! _

_She's coming this way; move! _

The girl kept walking until she reached a patch of what seemed to be unoccupied grass. She lied down and stared blankly at the sky. Hinata, trapped, stood idly close by. Her shy nature stopped her from speaking to Kotone, but she was so close, and she couldn't leave anyway, without being stared at. Mustering up all of her courage (which was not much), Hinata took a timid step towards the pale girl. Kotone immediately turned her head to the side to stare.

. . . . .

Hinata gulped, shaking unconsciously. Kotone stared lifelessly.

"Your eyes are white.."

Hinata gulped again, her trembling beginning to dissolve.

"Y-yes," she stammered, "I-.. I have the B-b-byakugan."

Kotone sat up, causing Hinata to flinch.

"Byakugan.."

"Y-ye-yes."

"Understood."

. . . . . . .

"M-my n-name is Hinata."

"I see."

"W-w-would i-it bo-bother you i-if I s-sat her-... here?"

"No."

Hinata, plopping down on the ground with a soft 'thud', placed her bento box on her lap. Kotone lowered herself back down onto the grass. Not having the courage to talk anymore, Hinata sat quietly and ate her lunch slowly.

* * *

><p>Spring came; sakura fell.<p>

Summer came; grass was lush and bright green.

Fall came; leaves turned from green to red, orange, or yellow.

Winter came; snow sprinkled down, and the leaves disappeared.

Then spring came again.

The class had become used to Kotone after a few months. She was herself, and everyone else were themselves.

Nothing changed. Kotone still sat by herself in all of her classes. Hinata occasionally sat with her at lunch, but that was it. Kotone still looked the same, with pale skin, white eyes, and white hair. Her outfits consisted of a copy of the same white kimono everyday. She always wore her pair of geta.

Life continued.

* * *

><p>Graduation came from nowhere. One day, they were being introduced to their teacher, and then, they were graduating to become genin.<p>

Hinata fidgeted nervously, pushing her index fingers against each other with a troubled expression. Would she be on Naruto's team? Or would she be with mean people? Perhaps Kotone? Hinata peeked at the pale girl sitting in the front. Kotone Kimiko was very blunt and honest, never lying (which was sometimes a bad thing). When asked questions, she answered so honestly, it was considered rude.

"Do I look okay?"

"No."

"Am I fat?"

"Yes."

"Do I look ugly?'

"No."

"O-oh! So, do I look pretty?"

"No."

"Oh."

But Hinata liked her. A lot. Kotone gave her honest opinion, not caring what others thought. She gave her own opinion without altering it to make others feel better.

Hinata blushed furiously when Naruto entered the room, taking the pale girl off of her mind.

* * *

><p><strong>(we all know how the graduation scene goes, so I'm skipping it)<strong>

* * *

><p>Kotone stood, with no emotion crossing her features. She was standing on the roof of a random building that was most definitely not the academy. To her left were two girls, chatting quietly, but neither of them were old enough to be the sensei. So where was their jounin teacher?<p>

The smallest girl was blonde, with a long braid going down her back. It was tied tightly with a blood red bow that contrasted with her bright blue orbs. Her clothes were tight and colored lightly with a pale green and an unexpected bright red cloth wrapped around her stomach with her Konoha forehead protector on it.

The girl beside the blonde was odd looking. Her green hair was choppy, with random short and long pieces, and her eyes looked like ripples of water. All along her eyebrows were painful looking piercings. Her clothes were darkly colored and her feet were wrapped in white bandages instead of the traditional shinobi shoes. Her forehead protector was wrapped around her forehead behind her green bangs, just like Kotone.

They stood, an awkward tension hanging over them.

Their sensei, an adult most likely, was late. Very late.

"Where do you think they are?" asked the blonde girl.

The green-haired girl shrugged with her odd bony shoulders.

"I don't know. Ditched us, probably."

The awkward tension was back, and the blonde girl distractedly kicked a rock. When it was sent flying, it landed in the hands of what seemed to be a beautiful woman. She crushed the rock in her fist and sent the gentlest smile she could muster to the three girls.

Her hair was pinned up in a lousy, but beautiful bun and her side bangs were tucked behind her ear. Her lips were painted a light pink and she was dressed in a short dress with her flak jacket giving it an odd, but professional look.

The woman reopened her fist and let the dust of the rock go into the air. She bowed politely to her students, her Konoha forehead protector wrapped lovingly and loosely around her neck.

"Hello. My name is Hanako. It's nice to meet you all. I believe I am your sensei. Before we begin, please introduce yourselves along with some things you like and dislike. Perhaps even a goal you have in mind?" Her voice was soft and kind.

The blonde girl, now less tense than earlier, went first.

"My name is Hiromi Sato. I hope we can all become great friends! I, umm, like flowers and I don't really like thunderstorms.. A goal of mine is to become a powerful kunoichi one day!" She bowed sweetly and Hanako-sensei clapped delicately, "How wonderful, Sato-san! I do hope your dream comes true. You, with the lovely green hair, it is, I believe your turn."

The girl scowled at the delicate young woman.

"Fine. My name's Maiko Arakawa. I like potato chips and I don't like tea. My goal is to one day become a famous and all powerful kunoichi that can kick anybody's (curse.)!" Her frowned turned quickly into a satisfied smirk.

Hanako-sensei put a hand to mouth and giggled, "My, my. What a nice dream to aim for. And what about you, dear child?"

Kotone sent her a lifeless stare that didn't hurt her lovely smile.

"My name is Kotone Kimiko. I do not like or dislike anything. I have no goals in mind."

Hanako giggled, "Oh my. No dreams? No loves? No hates? You really are stoic."

Kotone did not react.

"Now that we all know each other, I'll go ahead and explain what we'll be doing," Hanako paused to tuck away some stray hairs behind her ear, "We will be taking a test."

Maiko groaned, "What? A test? We just got here! And right after _taking a test_!"

Hanako-sensei frowned lightly, "It's necessary to see if you really are prepared for the life of a kunoichi. It's not an easy test, I'm afraid, but it's a test you all need to pass. Understand?"

The three girls nodded and the tall brunette woman giggled happily, "Good. I'll meet you all at the academy tomorrow at six in the morning. Don't be late!"

* * *

><p>Kotone returned to her apartment, alone like usual. She walked inside, locked the door behind her, and walked slowly towards the bathroom. Once there, she shed her clothing and looked at herself in the mirror.<p>

Her skin was oddly the same color of her hair and eyes.

White.

Pure white, like fresh, untainted snow. Her straight bangs covered some of her Konoha forehead protector that she had received earlier that day. She untied it and listened with a blank expression as it fell to the ground.

She stepped into her bathtub and sat down slowly into the water. Her white hair fell all around her, looking oddly at peace with all the soap studs surrounding all of the strands.

Her lips, in an odd attempt to show emotion, twitched upwards.

She tossed her head back suddenly, her mouth open in a soundless scream.

Pain. That's all she felt anymore. Unbearable pain that would never fade. Its strength would never falter. It would continue to bring her pain and she would never overcome.

Some force of evil was blocking sound from escaping Kotone's mouth, for her opening mouth released no scream that was itching to escape her throat. She closed her mouth quickly, taking in a gulp of air before looking down into her lifeless reflection in the water.

It sent her an evil grin, mouthing the word that Kotone hated the most.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: **Weird ending.. I didn't even expect it! Well, I lie, yes I did, becasue I typed it ;)

I hope you guys liked it and I'd love to hear some comments! '

Read and Review, onegai! ;)

And I'll probably post... Later. I don't know. I'm not good with deadlines... I'd be a horrible manga editor :)


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Sorry for the long wait, everyone! I just.. get lazy! Haha! **

**Anyway, thanks to... **

_**Tsukiyomi Zakuro for reviewing! ;)**_

_**Bloody-Neko-Princess for doing the alert thingy and favoriting me! Haha! I feel special :) Thanks!**_

_**DJdanjAA911 for doing the alert thingy as well! You made me smile! And get nervous! Haha! Thanks!**_

**I think I got most of ya'll.. Anyway, enjoy this chapter!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, just my OC's. **

**But it's on my Christmas list.**

* * *

><p><em>Was it just she, or was the sky always bluer on the other side? <em>

_Reaching timidly, she outstretched her hand towards it, until her fingertip dragged across it almost teasingly. _

_Almost too quickly, she was yanked away from it and received an instant scolding. _

"_It's too dangerous! Don't do that again!" The woman yelled. _

_To her, the woman was faceless and nameless. _

_Nodding numbly, she waddled away, but couldn't ignore the pure feeling of desire as she peeked over her shoulder. _

_It pained her to never be able to go there.. _

_But she would. _

_One day._

* * *

><p>Her eyelids suddenly opened (no fluttering of the lids involved) and she became extremely focused when she heard the chirping of birds.<p>

It was morning.

* * *

><p>Hitomi yawned, not even attempting to cover her mouth.<p>

She stretched (with some random cracks occurring, causing her to squeal and frantically touch her joints) and stumbled out of her bed, only to be paraded by blankets, which had apparently snaked themselves around her while she slept.

"Ah!" The blonde fell to the ground and her parents who were downstairs heard the slam.

"What is she doing up so early?" asked Mrs. Sato.

Her husband looked at the clock and shrugged.

Mrs. Sato crossed her arms and pursed her lips, deep in thought.

She was the one who did most of the talking in the family.

And she was the one that Hitomi looked most like.

Her flowing blonde hair went to her knees and was usually braided by her identical daughter.

Unfortunately, her eyes were brown.

Mr. Sato was tall, lean, muscular, and silent.

Hitomi's eyes are identical to his; ocean blue with sparkles.

The two chunin looked up when the door to the kitchen was thrown open to see their daughter tying her forehead protector around her stomach with a worried glint in her eyes.

"I've got to go, you two! My alarm went off late! I hope Hanako-sensei isn't mad!" She explained, snatching the delicious looking toast off of her mother's plate.

Mrs. Sato didn't mind and waved enthusiastically at her daughter, "Have fun! I'm sure Hanako-sensei won't be mad! She's a nice lady."

Hitomi took a moment and kissed her parents and ran out the door (before running back to frantically explain that she had forgotten her shoes and say she loved them).

* * *

><p>Maiko opened her eyes groggily.<p>

Her alarm was buzzing over and over and over and OVER again!

She slapped the contraption angrily and rolled out of her bed.

The light thud caused the door to swing open with a loud cheer, "Congratulations, little sister (a ridiculous nickname she had earned when she accidentally called him 'big brother')!"

The green-haired genin looked up from her place on the floor at her cousin, Daisuke.

He looked nothing like her (cousins aren't supposed to, right?) with flowing brown hair tied back in a ponytail and lean, muscular features.

He was a chunin.

"Thanks, Dai" Maiko yawned.

"Mai!" The young man pouted childishly, "don't you understand how awesome this is? You're a GENIN! A shinobi! Kunoichi, actually, but still! AMAZING!"

The green-haired girl yawned (ignoring her annoying cousin completely) and looked at herself in the mirror.

Her hair was sticking up in random places, but her hair would be back in the style she liked it with a simple hairbrush.

"Want me to do it?"

Maiko looked up at her cousin and nodded numbly.

He was like a big sister, but you know, male.

Daisuke sat down behind her and softly ran the old brush through the choppy green locks.

"What are you going to wear? I can set it out for you while you eat" He offered.

The genin shrugged, "I don't know. Anything dark."

Her cousin sighed. "Honestly, Maiko, when are you going to outgrow your creepy tomboyness? You'll never get a boyfriend like this!"

The girl roughly hit him in the stomach and he laughed heartily.

When his laughter died down, his voice took on a sudden seriousness.

"Your parents would've wanted you to wear more jovial [A/N: Jovial means cheerful in mood or disposition] colors.."

Maiko stiffened and stood up abruptly.

"Get out. I'm changing then I'm leaving."

Her cousin frowned deeply before steadily exiting the room, closing the door behind him.

Maiko changed quickly in her darkest clothes and exited the house out of her window, not wanting to even look at Daisuke.

* * *

><p>Hanako-sensei arrived two hours late.<p>

Maiko was _fuming. _

"What goes through that shallow skull of yours, sensei? Flowers? Daisies? We've been here since six! It's EIGHT, sensei!"

Her rant went unnoticed and the calm jounin straightened her kimono calmly.

Her explanation?

"I stopped to get tea."

Her green-haired genin almost went nuts.

"What? Why would tea take you two freaking hours?" She yelled.

Hanako-sensei giggled, "I was talking to a friend of mine!"

Hitomi rubbed the back of her head awkwardly, being one of the two that decided to stay quiet. She eyed Kotone with a curious expression. What was the girl even thinking? Was there any way of Hitomi telling? The blonde sighed. Probably not.

"Well! Anyway, did all of you study properly?" Hanako-sensei asked, completely ignoring the angry reaction from Maiko she got (she had suddenly turned away from the green-haired genin and started talking).

Hitomi nodded vigorously, "Yes, sensei! I went to my friend Hinata's (Kotone seemed to acknowledge her when she mentioned the shy Hyuuga) and we studied until I had to go home!"

Hanako-sensei grinned, "Very good. What about you, Kimiko-san?"

Kotone turned her head to look into the jounin's eyes (one of them twitched under the dead stare of her student).

"I studied sufficiently."

Hanako-sensei nodded then looked at Maiko, "Well, Arakawa-san?"

The green-haired genin snorted arrogantly, "Of course I did! I studied all day! Daisuke had to stop me for dinner! (it was a lie. It was Daisuke who had commanded that she stop eating and start studying.. This is why she was such great friends with Choji)"

Her sensei saw straight through it, but smiled appreciatively anyway, "That's great! You all studied! I guess it means you're all prepared for the test! Let's go inside, then, shall we?"

* * *

><p>The one thing Hitomi couldn't get her head around was.. where were all the other teams? Weren't they all taking the same test? She looked curiously at the back of her sensei.<p>

She was truly an odd woman..

Maiko glared angrily at the boring white walls of the school. She hated it here.

Something about it made her feel small and unimportant.

"How much longer until we get there?" She asked grumpily.

"We'll be there very soon. We'll be taking the test in your old homeroom! Excited?"

"No."

* * *

><p>When they entered the classroom, Hanako-sensei softly ordered that they all take seats, equally separated around the room. As they took their seats, the dark-haired jounin pulled out some random equipment.<p>

_I bet that's a part of the test! _Hitomi eyed the jounin wearily.

_Pff! This is going to be _easy_! _Maiko snorted.

Hanako-sensei coughed lightly into her sleeve then began her explanation.

"Your test is quite simple. All you three need to do is catch me."

The three girls stared blankly at their sensei.

Maiko laughed loudly, "That's it?"

"That's it. But only with the equipment I give to you. You may not switch with anyone or take anyone else's. Understand?"

The dark-haired jounin laid three thick kunai knives in front of Hitomi.

A large net in front of Maiko.

Three sets of thin wire in front of Kotone.

Hanako-sensei walked back to the front of the room then grinned devilishly, "Begin!"

She disappeared with a cloud of grey smoke.

* * *

><p>Hitomi ran out of the room as soon as possible. She needed to locate her weird sensei and catch her! It'd be a lot simpler than what the other two girls had to do with their equipment! All she had to do was defeat her sensei in a little battle with her kunai! Easy... right?<p>

She ran blindly into another classroom, apparently filled with students.

They all stared at her with blank stares.

"I-I'm sorry!" She bowed (almost dropping a kunai) and ran out of the classroom as soon as possible.

* * *

><p>One of the students, once the door closed, sighed, "You can come out now, Jounin-san." Hanako peered out from underneath a desk of a random student, chuckling softly, "She's such a fool! Thank you all for your help. You too, Iruka-san!"<p>

The fair skinned chunin sighed and motioned towards the door with the thin book he held in his hand, "You're welcome.. Now get out, please, Hanako-san."

* * *

><p>Maiko growled in frustration when she once again tripped over the net she dragged behind herself.<p>

_This is so annoying! GRAH!_

"Ughh! Asuma-sensei is such a lazy bum! Why should _we _go get his paperwork?"

The green-haired genin's ear twitched irritably. She recognized that annoyingly high voice.. Was that? Oh dear go-

"Oh look! It's Midori wa baka o hikii [A/N: Literally means 'green headed idiot'.]!"

Maiko twisted her head uncomfortably to glare at the bubbly blonde. Her name? Ino Yamamamama something. She annoyed the living CRAP out of Maiko. She flirted with boys all the time and went on and on about how she was the most beautiful woman in the world.

The tomboy wanted to wring her thin, ugly neck.

A pair of dark brown (so dark they looked black. That or they _were _black and Maiko hadn't noticed) eyes fell upon the green haired girl and a sigh came from normally toned lips (he was the only one without abnormally pale skin or abnormally dark skin. Him and Choji).

"Yo, Midoriiro no atama [A/N: Means 'green head'.]."

A pause, the smacking of lips and chewing of food filling the silence.

The noises paused as the cause of the sounds said lamely, "Yo, Maiko."

Shikamaru and Choji. Her two best guy friends.

Maiko grinned lopsidedly at them both, suddenly shoving her hands into her pockets, ignoring the annoying net wrapped around her legs.

"Hey, you two! What are ya doin' here?" She asked.

Shikamaru let out a long sigh as Choji began to eat again (Maiko snuck a few chips away from him) and began to explain they had already finished their tests and were fetching some paperwork for their sensei, Asuma.

"Lucky. I'm still in the middle of mine.. I have to play freakin' tag with this old hag" The green haired girl mumbled.

Her scary-looking eyes (they looked like ripples of white water with black circles. Terrifying) flicked up to the ceiling when she heard the sudden stomp and loud, calm voice, "I am not _old_."

The four genin stared for a few seconds before Ino asked dumbly, "Who the heck is that?"

Maiko yelped in surprise and growled, "It's Hanako-sensei! You're going _DOWN!_"

She looked around for something to use as a ladder, but settled on jumping on Shikamaru (he was tallest... Nothing else) demanding, "Pick me up! I'll catch her faster this way!"

The dark haired boy sighed and used what Maiko had dubbed his catchphrase.

"What a drag."

* * *

><p>When she was finally in the upper works of the building that was called the ceiling (she thanked Shikamaru and promised him she'd take him out to ramen later), she started crawling, trying to move as silently as possibly.<p>

"_Where'd that old coot go_?" Maiko asked in a whisper, more to herself than to her hiding sensei.

Her hand gripped her net when she heard the small tap sounds of light footsteps. Was that Hanako-sensei? She was quick for such an old jounin.

Well, she wasn't really old. But that was just the only way to insult the sensei at the moment.

When she suddenly no longer felt the ceiling underneath her, she yelped in terror and then in pain when she collided with the ground (then the net landed on her and she bit it furiously).

From her lovely view from the ground, she saw her sensei smiling down at her.

"You lost!"

"I'M GOING TO KILL YOU!"


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Sorry for the long wait.. It was Christmas. Give me a break. Happy New Years, by the way. **

__**Thanks to...**

_spiritgem94_ - For alerting! Thank you so much! You made my day X) And my breakfast!

_Lonetear - _For alerting! Thanks so much! I love you like I love cows (that's a lot).

_Shadow of Many - _For favoriting! Thank you so much for your existence!

_LoneWolfPack - _For alerting! Thank you! AHH! THANKS! Haha... Ha.

**-:-**

**If I forgot you, feel free to peg me with soccer balls. **

**-:-**

Disclaimer - I don't own this.

**-:-**

**Thank you for reading! Please read and review!**

* * *

><p><em>"Faster!" <em>

_Large green eyes scanned the crowd of people. _

_They were all carrying things. Heavy things. _

_._

_._

_._

_._

_._

_She was too innocent looking to look like her father. _

_He was tall, proud, and evil. _

_His black hair was slick and always covered his right eye. _

_._

_._

_._

_._

_._

_ "You rangy mutts! I'll kill you two if you don't keep moving!" _

_The girl looked around for the source of the angry bark and squeaked when she noticed a worker of her father's whipping two children. _

_They were dark-skinned (everyone not in the royal family was dark because of the harsh desert sun) and had hair the color of snow. _

_One of the children was a girl with long flowing hair and tears spilling out of her beautiful mint green eyes. _

_The other was a boy who was standing and taking the beatings with a pained, stubborn and vengeful glare. _

_His eyes were the color of water. _

_And they were glaring at _her_. _

Kotone walked past another classroom, scanning each section of it before passing on to the next one. It was going to be a while before she found her sensei.

_Ka-thunk._

* * *

><p>Sharp ears caught the small sound and immediately Kotone drew her rope from her small knapsack that was wrapped around her waist.<p>

It was white, too.

She walked on for a while before stopping to listening for any more sounds.

_Tap. Tap. Tap. _

Footsteps. Very light footsteps.

They were retreating from her.

It must be her sensei.

That or someone sneaking around the academy.

Either way, she'd catch someone if she ran after him or her.

She bent her knees and was suddenly gone in a flash.

* * *

><p>Hanako-sensei tiptoed across the hallway.<p>

All the walls were white and she half-expected a section of it to start chasing her, calling itself Kotone.

When she heard silent footsteps behind her, she leapt up on the ceiling and crawled into it quickly (she somehow made that action look beautiful. That's Hanako for you).

The sound of her placing a cutout section of the ceiling (her work from her own years in the academy. Iruka had never found out so it didn't really matter) resounded throughout the hallway and she gulped nervously.

_Tap. _

_Tap. _

_Tap. _

Very silent, small footsteps.

Hanako-sensei opened the ceiling a notch and stared blankly at the ground below her.

No one so far.

It almost sounded as though the student was coming, but she couldn't tell.

Stupid echoey hallways.

Gradually, Hanako-sensei dropped down from the ceiling and started sneaking down the hallway with silent footsteps.

When she heard a loud bang she turned around with a kunai raised (she wouldn't hurt her students... Yet) and bent knees.

Nothing.

She turned back around and started to tiptoe once more.

* * *

><p>Kotone blankly stared. Black, angry eyes stared back.<p>

.

.

.

Entangled in her rope was the oh-so-famous-and-beautiful Sasuke Uchiha.

.

.

.

He was glaring daggers into her skull, but she didn't care.

.

.

.

She never would.

.

.

.

She waited for him to get out of the rope before wrapping it back up in a neat circle and placing it back in her knapsack.

She didn't even send the boy a glance as she passed by, and she didn't even respond when he grabbed her forearm, growling.

"Where do you think you're going?" He asked, an angry expression spread across his features.

"I'm going to walk down this hallway."

Her voice was so dead.

It was like all her life had seeped out of her.

Sasuke glared at her for a moment longer before asking, "Why'd you do that?"

Kotone deadpanned, "Because I believed you were my sensei. Since you are not my sensei, I will be leaving."

She pulled out of his iron grip and started walking again, unaware of the almost shocked (almost. Just almost) stare from the Uchiha.

* * *

><p>Two hours. Two long torturous hours.<p>

Hanako-sensei made a disappointed noise (Tsk, tsk) and shook her head.

"I'm a little disappointed in you girls.. Oh well. It just looks like all of you failed."

Maiko stomped her foot.

Hiromi's eyes gathered with tears.

Kotone didn't do anything.

"But we tried so hard! At least give us a second chance!" Hiromi begged.

Hanako-sensei gave them all angry glances.

"You failed. F-A-I-L-E-D. I'm sorry, but there's no more to it than that. You were all being selfish brats."

Maiko growled and charged at her sensei, only to be easily avoided and shoved onto the ground mercilessly, a kunai to her pale skin.

"You heard me. BRATS. You didn't even try to work together! Do you know how successful you would've been if you had tried to have teamwork? Look at your equipment. If you had combined all of them together to make a trap, you would've caught me easily! You know, what?"

The three girls stared.

"You don't even deserve to have a retry. I should just send you back to the academy!'

Maiko growled and snarled.

Though underneath her sensei, she barked noisily, "We tried so hard to catch you! You didn't say we had to freakin' work together! Give us another chance! And some food!"

For a moment there was silence.

Then Hanako-sensei's eye sparkled and she released her green-haired student with a peaceful and graceful expression.

The green and blonde haired genins' jaws dropped.

"That's a wonderful idea, Maiko-san... I'll let you all eat. Find whatever you want, buy it, then return to the academy yard so we can eat hmm?"

* * *

><p><em>THAT WOMAN! If I was of jounin level.. I WOULD KILL HER! GRAHH!<em>

Maiko stomped down the streets with an angry, distressed aura floating around her.

She was pissed.

PISSED.

FREAKIN' PISSED!

She stormed into her favorite place to eat (the name didn't matter. She always came here with Choji) and sat down in a booth with the most murderous look on her face.

When three people slipped into the seats in front of her, she let out a shaky sigh.

"Hey, Shika. Hey, Choji."

Ino crossed her arms and added irritably, "Hey to you, too, Midori wa baka o hikii."

Maiko laid her head on the table and groaned, completely ignoring the annoying blonde.

"My sensei is going to send me back to the academy."

Ino burst out laughing and Choji just started eating what she had ordered (to go, mind you) despite her irritated glance.  
>"Why?" Shikamaru asked.<p>

He was resting his chin on his palm like he always did.

"'Cause I failed her stupid test! I wanna murder the stupid b-"

Before she could finish, her dark haired friend sent her a raised eyebrow, and she didn't.

"She's annoying."

"Everyone's annoying to you."

...

"Touché."

* * *

><p>Hiromi rubbed her teary eyes with her hands.<p>

Darn it! Darn it! Darn it!

She had failed.. She had totally failed...

She was a failure!

FAILURE!

She couldn't help but let tears form in her eyes and she angrily rubbed them away.

The blonde slapped her face before determinedly wondering how to team up with her two unusual teammates.

It would be hard.. And she'd have to bribe them or something.

When her face suddenly collided with someone's back, she looked up (and up and up. She's short. Give her a break) and smiled a small smile, bowing.

"I'm sorry, sir."

The dark-haired boy in front of her raised a brow, "Sir? What's up with you, Hiromi?"

The blonde squeaked and looked closer at the boy's face.

She bowed again, "I'm so sorry, Kiba! I.. was thinking about my sensei."

Akamaru barked at her and she giggled, "Hi, Akamaru! I'm sorry if I bothered you Kiba.. I'll be taking my leave!"

After giving the lightly colored dog a friendly pat on the head she ran off, leaving a confused, but happy Kiba.

* * *

><p>Kotone sat patiently, staring at the back of her sensei's head with a blank expression.<br>"Aren't you hungry, Kimiko-san?" The beautiful, but insane woman asked.

"I don't eat."

.

.

.

"Why is that?"

"I have no digestive system."

.

.

.

.

Hanako-sensei kept her expression calm, "Oh? Well, every human has a digestive system, Kimiko-san!"

There was an odd pause that made the dark-haired jounin's stomach do awkward flips.

.

.

.

.

"I am not a human."

Hanako turned around quickly to face her pale student.

"What?"

.

.

.

No reply.

.

.

.

"We're back, baka-sensei! [A/N: baka=idiot]"

The jounin recomposed herself quickly before greeting her green-haired genin.

"Good. You've both returned! Now we can finish up our test."

Maiko groaned, "There's MORE?"

Hanako-sensei chuckled, "Well of course. Unless you'd like to return to the academy."

The green-haired tomboy shut her mouth and her sensei grinned.

"No more stupid questions?" the beautiful woman asked.

The three girls noiselessly shook their heads.

"Good! Now, let me explain the final part of your test."

Hiromi leaned forward. She _had _to pass! She couldn't disappoint her parents.

"This is no longer a catch-me kind of game. This is where the duties of the shinobi will be put to the test."

Maiko glared. A shinobi killed for his master. That was his duty.

Suddenly, their sensei disappeared and reappeared behind Hiromi.

The blonde didn't even have time to scream; her sensei grabbed her and stuck a kunai to her neck.

"Kimiko-san."

The pale girl looked up at her sensei.

"Kill Arakawa-san, or I will kill Sato-san."

Kotone stood up and pulled out a kunai, "Yes, sensei."

Maiko blanched.

"W-wait! We're teammates, Kotone, you baka!"

"And? I was ordered to kill you. I will do as I am told."

"Cut it out, Kotone!" Hiromi glared.

The pale child looked at her, "Do you not want to live?"

"We're a team now! If I'm really about to be killed," She sent a glance up at her beautiful, but completely insane sensei, "then don't kill anymore of our team, or else we'll just be one person. You."

"If I kill Maiko, you will live" Kotone deadpanned.

"I know.. But if this is really a hostage situation, then she'll kill me, too."

The two other genin nodded in understanding (or whatever Kotone was feeling) and eyed their sensei.

She had taken on a crazy, but calm grin.

"Are you done discussing? Will you really try to attack me when I could kill your precious teammate in a single moment?" She asked.

Kotone's answer caused the woman's grin to waver.

"No one is precious to me. If she were to die, I would not be affected. But, listening to her reason has made another answer dawn upon me."

A pause.

"You want us to work together to try and stop you. This will not only improve our teamwork, but will make us pass this test."

The beautiful woman removed her kunai from Hiromi's neck with a stable smile.

.

.

.

.

.

"Did we pass?" Hiromi asked, her voice shaky.

"Not yet. Why don't we eat? I bet you're all hungry!" Hanako-sensei grinned, walking out of the classroom.

Kotone followed her sensei and left her two other teammates.

.

.

.

"Hey."

Hiromi looked up at her lanky tomboy acquaintance.

"Yes, Arakawa-san?"

The green-haired genin flinched.

"D-.. Don't call me that. You can call me Maiko. If you want. We're... teammates now, aren't we?"

Hiromi grinned, realizing the light red blush on her new friend's face.

_She must not be used to making new friends._

"Okay, Maiko-chan!"

"C-chan!" The green-haired girl turned even more red and glared at her blonde friend.

Hiromi strolled towards the door and smiled, "Yeah! Maiko-chan! You can call me whatever you like."

Maiko followed close behind and crossed her arms, "Whatever... Hiromi-chan."

.

.

.

The blonde smiled.

* * *

><p>Turns out that Hiromi wasn't allowed to eat.<p>

Maiko watched in shock as her new friend was strapped to a tree by her new smiling sensei.

"Since you were my hostage and didn't do anything; you don't get to eat."

The blonde was securely tied to the base of the tree and she was glaring at Hanako.

"Yes, ma'am" She gritted her teeth.

The black-haired woman grinned, "Good! Now, no one feed her, alright? Or else I'll have to send you all back to the academy!"

The jounin giggled and Maiko stared in horror.

Then she disappeared in an array of gray smoke.

.

.

.

.

.

.

Kotone started eating her meal and her green-haired teammate frowned at Hiromi.

"Are you sure you're alright, Hiromi-chan?"

The blonde opened her mouth to reply, but her stomach did instead.

It growled viciously loud and she hung her head, "I, ahh.. I'll be fine. I don't want you to fail."

Then something surprising happened.

Kotone shoved a chopstick (with meat on the end) into Hiromi's mouth, causing her to almost gag.  
>"K-kotone!" Maiko yelled, but lowered her voice to a whisper, "are you sure?"<p>

The pale child continued to shove food into her teammate's mouth until she replied, "She told us to work on teammate. If I don't feed her then she won't be strong enough to keep up with us."

.

.

.

.

.

"Here."

Hiromi finally swallowed her food and took a gulp of air.

"M-m-maiko-chan! I don't need any more food. I'll be fine.."

Her stomach growled angrily and she hung her head again.

Her chin was lifted and Maiko gently fed her friend a piece of grilled shrimp.

"Kotone's right. Eat. I'm not hungry. I actually ate before I came back" She lied.

Blue eyes suddenly brimmed with tears and the tomboy genin in front of her turned bright red.

"W-what's wrong? Stop c-crying! Hiromi-chan?"

The blonde smiled and swallowed.

"Thank you.. You two."

Kotone stared off into the distance, with no emotion on her face.

Maiko blushed more, "Shut up! Just eat."

.

.

.

.

When they were done eating, they sat patiently.

"I'm a little nervous.." Hiromi anxiously giggled.

"Don't worry about it. She couldn't have seen-"

Smoke appeared in front of them and Maiko coughed.

"Us."

Hanako-sensei immediately pulled her three students into a hug, Hiromi's rope snapping from the jounin's strength.

"I'm so proud of all of you!" She said with a beautiful array of laughter.

Maiko raised a brow.  
>"W-what? You're proud? Did we pass?"<p>

"Yes! You feed your teammate and you passed! I didn't think Kakashi-kun's plan would work.."

"What?"

"Nothing! All that matters is that you passed! Now we're officially Team 14!"

Thirty minutes later, they took a team picture together.

Hanako had her arms on top of Hiromi's head, with a smile that was more beautiful than anything anyone else had seen.

The blonde genin had looped both of her arms with her teammates, much to their disliking (or whatever Kotone was feeling).

She was smiling and giggling as well.

Maiko was red from her friend's affection and was glaring angrily.

She wasn't quite looking at the camera, but it was still quite a good picture.

Kotone was looking the same as always.

Staring blankly.

Lifelessly.

.

.

.

.

.

Like a dead person.

* * *

><p><em>The boy and his sister were immediately sent to the cage after their disobedience. <em>

_Owlish green eyes followed them. _

_She slipped out of her seat (right beside her father's throne) and began to sneak away. _

_When her mother's sad, but musical voice called to her, she answered quickly. _

"_I'm going to get some water. I'll be back, Father, Mother." _

_She lied._


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N : Six reviews? *faints* I feel famous despite the fact that others have like... 3443663456356! Hahaha! Well, anyway! I'm just very glad that I got so many reviews.. I love them! Anyways.. Who else did nothing for New Years? I just sat with a pillow over my head because my neighbors had fireworks.. Stupid idiots. Some people DON'T HAVE LIVES! **

**Yeesh.**

**Hahaha! ...I'm such a sad person.**

**Thanks to... **

123Blue's Clues - First, off, I love your username. Not only am I obsessed with Blue's Clues, but I threw a tantrum when I discovered Blue was a girl. Gahh. Anyway, thank you so much for reviewing! My reply - _Thank goodness! I thought I wasn't doing anything right! Thank you very much! I love making stories and I love this story as well :) Because it's my baby. Haha! ANYWAYS~! Thank you very much! I love you! I WILL read your stories! And I WILL REVIEW. I WILL. I promise on my baby. _

_-:-_

momorocks101ful - Thank you very much for alerting and reviewing! That makes me very happy! My reply - _Thank you very much for reviewing and thank you very much for the advice! I'm trying to put my periods so that they don't take up more space, but hopefully add more suspense. And OOC OC's (WHOA) aren't what I'm aiming for, so thank you so much for the heads up! If you're talking about Hanako, it's because she has multiple personalities. She's crazy. If you're speaking about Maiko, she has a soft side for Hiromi. I just wanted to make sure they made friends. And thank you! I love that you love my idea! It makes me feel warm inside like oatmeal. _

-:-

123Blue's Clues - A-again? Whoa.. And you alerted... Thank you! I'm flattered :O And so happy... My reply - _I'm fainting! Thank you very much! I'm so glad that you love it! It just makes me want to dance! Thank you very much, buddy~!_

_-:-_

efrosty - Thank you very much for alerting :) On my other story, too! I'll thank you there, too. Don't worry, buddy. Luv ya!

-:-

spiritgem94 - Thank you so much for reviewing.. Teehee.. I feel so special.. SO MANY REVIEWS! I'M SO HAPPY! EEEE! Ahem. Sorry. My reply - _I'm glad you have questions... That was my intention. Kotone is a very.. unique OC. You'll find out what she is eventually. I'm also glad that you've noticed it's suspense-y. I'm trying to hold back on the info I'm giving away, but eventually, an answer will occur and hopefully you'll be like, "WHAAAAAAUUUT?" And I'll be like, "Teehee!" And you'll be like, "I want my money back!" and I'll be like, "WHAAAAAAAAUUUT?" The end :) Hahah! Anyways, I'll keep updating and I'll keep sending you love letters. Just kidding. *cough*_

-:-

WaterWitch666 - I wub you. Hahaha! Thank you for favoriting! But.. your username... 666? o.o scary.

-:-

**If I forgot you, I will give you a tennis racket you can hit me with repeatedly. **

-:-

**Disclaimer - **YOU JUST GOT DISCLAIMED, SUCKAH!

-:-

**Enjoy the story :) **

* * *

><p><strong>POV - Maiko<strong>

**-:-**

Maiko charged into her house with a smirk.

She passed!

Now she could rub it in her cousin's face.. Oh. Wait.

The green-haired tomboy looked down at her feet with a frown.

Of course not. They were fighting.

She tugged on her headband anxiously as she teetered into the kitchen awkwardly.

There he was.

His back was to her and he was humming a girly song.

"Hi."

Daisuke turned around and smiled.

"Hey, Mai! How was the test?"

"Fine" She answered curtly, sitting down at the table.

The chunin frowned.

The fight was not yet forgotten.

Daisuke turned off the stove and wiped his hands off on his pants.

He sat down at the table as well.

His usually cheerful dark eyes looked up at her seriously.

"Maiko."

She frowned.

He never called her that. EVER.

"What?" The genin snarled.

Her cousin took a deep breath before saying softly, "When do you want to talk about them?"

Maiko growled and stood up, "Never! They're gone! They don't matter anymore! Stop bothering me about it! I'm going to my room!"

She stomped up the stairs and slammed her door shut when she slithered into her solitude.

Immediately, she slumped down and began to cry softly into her hands.

.

.

.

_Mom... Dad..._

* * *

><p><strong>POV change - Hiromi<strong>

-:-

The blonde _official _genin couldn't help but dance into her house with a cheery song on her lips.

She had passed.. She was so grateful.

Hiromi giggled when the image of Maiko's red face appeared in her mind.

And she had made a new friend.. She couldn't be happier.

"Hiromi-chan, how was it?" asked Mrs. Sato.

Her hair was tied back in a flowing ponytail and her brown eyes were sparkling with excitement.

"It was great, Mom! I made a new friend, Maiko Arakawa, and I passed! It's wonderful! I can't wait to go to training tomorrow! I can't wait to go on my first mission!"

Hiromi blabbered cheerfully.

Her quiet father appeared in the room and grunted in either agreement or who knows.

He was sometimes hard to understand.

Mrs. Sato, though, was always showing her emotions, "Oh... I'm so happy for you, love! But who's on your team? Are they cute? Is there a boy? Is _he _cute? Tell me everything!"

"Just be careful" Mr. Sato murmured.

Their adorable daughter giggled before nodding, "I know, daddy! I know.. Well, Mom, there are no boys; all of us are girls! There's Hanako-sensei.. She's really pretty, but she's kinda.. odd."

"How come?" Mrs. Sato tilted her head like a curious dog.

"She'll be really nice and proper one minute.. But then she'll be so blunt and rude the next!"

The older blonde waved her hand dismissively, "She's always been like that. We older kids (not really kids anymore) just kind of got over it. Go on."

"Oh. Okay.. Well, then there's Maiko Arakawa! She's cute, but she's kind of like a boy.. But we're friends now! I call her Maiko-chan and she calls me .. "

The discussion went on, but Mrs. Sato eyed her husband anxiously every few moments.

_Arakawa, _she thought, _is a very dangerous and familiar surname..._

* * *

><p><strong>POV change - Kotone<strong>

**-:-**

She entered her apartment and removed her geta in an orderly fashion.

It was quite a plain few rooms.

No touch of personality anywhere.

No flowers sitting around.

No cute paintings.

Kotone looked down at the photo in her hand.

**No. **

Pain echoed throughout her skull and chest as her hands attempted to shred the picture apart.

**No. **

Finally, she stopped resisting (why? Why did she try in the first place?) and ripped the picture into microscopic pieces.

.

.

.

**Good.**

* * *

><p><strong>POV change - No one<strong>

**-:-**

The next morning, the three female genin arrived at their new training area.

It was a good area, too.

Trees everywhere.. No one around to see them succeed or fail at whatever jutsu they wanted to train on..

But their sensei was late.

Again.

Maiko Arakawa was practically tearing out her hair when the beauty arrived.

"What took you so long?" She yelled.

Hanako-sensei flipped her hair delicately (it was no longer in a bun, but gracefully flowing onto her shoulders) and replied, "I got lost."

Hiromi sighed, "B-but.. You picked out this place."

The dark-haired jounin chuckled elegantly, "Well, of course I did. This is where I used to train with my old team."

"Whatever! Okay, so when do we start training? What are we doing? When's our first mission?" Maiko asked excitedly.

Hiromi nodded, "Yeah! I really want to go on a mission as well!"

Hanako-sensei sighed, "You three aren't really ready. You've got to be trained _a little _at least. It'd be quite disappointing if I sent three untrained genin to go fight an assassin trying to kill the Hokage.."

Maiko and Hiromi's eyes lit up, "Really?"

The dark-haired woman nodded and the two girls cheered.

Kotone stayed silent.

"So we might want to start off with some basic kunai training.."

"You've all done well so far! Just remember to stay hidden and alert. If you're too laid back, your opponent might sneak up on you and kill you!"

Maiko almost fell down from her awkward position in a high tree.

_Baka-sensei! I'm so tired.. I think I might fall.. My arms feel like noodles. _

She took in a quick breath when she realized a branch had snapped.

She let out a squeak when another one broke.

"GAH!"

Maiko fell onto the ground with a loud 'thud' and groaned.

A kunai had stuck in the tree exactly where she had once been.

"A-are you trying to kill me, you insane woman?" The tomboy growled.

Hanako-sensei flipped her hair, "I have no idea what you're talking about."

"You!" The green-haired girl snarled, but collapsed onto the ground.

"I'm so hungry.. and tired." She mumbled into the dirt.

Hiromi stumbled out of the bushes and collapsed as well, not even taking notice of the kunai that flew past her.

"I.. I'm tired, too, sensei.. Could we please take a break?" She panted.

The gorgeous, petite jounin sighed, "But Kimiko-san is still hiding!"

Maiko groaned, "Just give it up, Kotone! We're tired! Come out of wherever you're hiding.. Oh god.. My legs.."

The girl snuck her face back into the grass and dirt.

This time her pale teammate emerged from the forest.

Hanako-sensei raised a kunai, "What do you say, love?"

"I give up" Kotone deadpanned.

Her sensei put away her weapon and smiled, "So! Where do you all wish to eat?"

Maiko sat up, now gulping in air instead of dirt, and put a finger to her chin, in thought.

"Ichiraku's!"

Hiromi raised a brow, "I've never heard of it."

Her green-haired friend's eyes lit up (despite their odd appearance), "Choji told me about it! Said it was a really good place to go for ramen."

Hanako-sensei leaned back on the trunk of a tree.

_Didn't Kakashi-kun mention this place..? _

"We should go!" She said cheerfully, "It sounds wonderful!"

Hiromi smiled, "I'm up for ramen.. What about you, Kotone?"

The pale girl replied plainly, "I don't care."

And so they were off.

* * *

><p><strong>POV change - Hiromi &amp; Maiko<strong>

When they arrived, it was a scene worth watching.

Not only were a multitude of teams there, but there was only one seat.

_Only **one. **_

Maiko dived at it like a master jounin and didn't even flinch when her head collided with Rock Lee's.

She lunged at him and tossed him onto the ground, too his surprise and his team's dismay.

"Move it, Bushy Brow! I made it here first."

Before he could speak, the green-haired tomboy sat down (and with a victorious smirk) and began to order, guessing that it was her sensei who was paying.

Hiromi sighed at her friend's lousy manner.

"Maiko-chan.. You should let Rock Lee sit there. He's older than you."

The tomboy snorted and kicked the boy roughly in the face.

"Who cares? I was here first and I'm a lady. So, ha."

"It's still polite to ask if they want to sit there!"

"So? I don't care."  
>The cute blonde shook her head and offered a hand to Rock Lee.<p>

"Are you okay? I'm sorry about her. She's a tomboy."

The boy's eyes lit up and he stood, bowing gentlemanlike.

"Thank you, kind lady! Please allow me to introduce myself properly."

He smiled (Hiromi squinted. It was quite bright) and flashed her a thumbs-up.

"I am Konoha's Green Beautiful Wild Beast; Rock Lee! It's nice to meet you, Miss..?"

The other genin, still in shock, gaped at him like a fish.

She regained her conscience and returned a sweet smile before bowing, "My name is Hiromi Sato. I hope we can become friends, Rock Lee-kun."

He dramatically grabbed his heart and acted out taking it out.

"How beautiful you are, fair maiden! But.. unfortunately, my heart belongs to another!"

Hiromi blinked.

"Oh. I-It's okay."

They stood for a few moments in an awkward silence as Rock Lee wobbled away, still mumbling about sakura or something along those lines.

Maiko slurped up some of her ramen, "He's such a weirdo."

Hiromi sighed, "He's just being kind."

Her green-haired friend snorted and crossed her arms, balancing her chopsticks between her top lip and nose, "No, no. He's always like this. Ever since he met Gai-sensei, he went totally mad. He was kinda of okay in the Academy. I saw him once or twice when I skipped class."

This time it was the blonde's turn to cross her arms, "You skipped class? That's horrible, Maiko-chan!"

A shrug.

"Oh well! Who cares? No one. Now sit down and enjoy some ramen! Choji said this place was awesome and he was right!"

The smaller of the two girls waited patiently for the seat beside Maiko to be empty before slipping into it and peering over the menu.

"Ah! Good! Look at this! Doesn't it look delish? Order it!"

"O-okay..."

* * *

><p><strong>POV change - Kotone<strong>

****-:-

Meanwhile, Hanako-sensei had left Kotone all on her lonesome by skipping over to where Kakashi was with a graceful and elegant, "Ta-ta!"

The pale girl didn't mind.

She watched her sensei talk vividly to the man before her.

He was pretending not to listen and read a small, orange book, but the observing genin could tell he was listening more intently than he would ever in a meeting with the Hokage.

Kotone closed her eyes.

For some odd reason, a cord was struck within her.

Who else did she know that did that?

Did she know anyone else before coming to Konoha?

Her heart ached and she doubled over, carefully hiding herself from view to stop from drawing attention.

**No. NO, NO, NO, NO, NO. **

The voice was louder than her own thoughts (did she have any in the first place?) and she fell to the ground in a sad lump of white.

Her breath became quick and the pain inside doubled.

Her mouth opened in a scream, but no noise came out.

A few moments passed before her breathing came to a stop and she sat in bitter, lonely silence.

When she felt someone's shadow over her, she stood up quickly, the pain back to its normal level.

It was the Uchiha boy.

His eyes were wide (wider than usual, at least) from shock and he was staring at her.

He said nothing.

Kotone walked past him (pushing past his shoulder since he refused to move) and back to the ramen bar since she had scurried away to writhe in pain.

Her team was finished eating.

Hananko-sensei smiled at her when she approached and asked in her musical voice, "Where did you disappear to, Miss Kimiko? We were worried."

She answered with a bow, "I walked away. Forgive me, sensei"

The taller and slimmer woman waved the words off with her hand, "Please, Miss Kimiko. It's perfectly fine of you to walk away. No need to be so formal."

The genin straightened up and looked at her teammates.

"Man! That was delicious! Thanks a lot, sensei!" Maiko burped.

Hiromi giggled, "Yes, thank you!

Their jounin sensei chuckled, "No need to thank me. Shall we return to training, girls?"

"Yeah!"

"Yes, please!"

* * *

><p>"Now, Miss Kimiko, I'd like you to show me what sort of jutsus you know."<p>

"I have a wind type chakra, so my jutsus all revolve around the power of the wind."

Hanako-sensei blinked.

She didn't think any genin really knew their own chakra type.

She clapped anyway, "I'm glad! Okay. Demonstrate some on me."

Kotone twisted her arms in an odd fashion, almost like a dance, [A/N : think AVATAR! No, not the blue folk] and recited a jutsu.

"Kaze no ha*!"

She quickly put her hands together to form an unknown symbol (even to Hanako-sensei) and thrusted it forward.

For a moments there was nothing, then there was a powerful gust of wind and her fellow genin closed their eyes.

When their eyes were reopened, they realized the three in front of Kotone had been cleanly sliced in half.

Hiromi gasped, "Amazing, Kotone!"

Maiko crossed her arms, "Whoa."

Hanako-sensei dusted off her dress with a smile, "That was quite the jutsu, Miss Kimiko! I'm completely amazed. To be so young, yet contain such skill! You are truly talented."

Her student bowed.

"Alright. You're up, Maiko."

The green-haired girl sighed and stretched momentarily before strolling to her sensei's side.

"Show me what you know, Miss Arakawa."

* * *

><p><strong>POV change - Maiko<strong>

The tomboy closed her eyes and took a deep breath before holding out a hand in front of herself.

_Just remember what Dai taught you_.

She stretched out her fingers and took another long, deep breath.

Maiko flicked her wrist, jumped into the air, spun, and while still in rotation flicked her wrist yet again and landed decently (stumbling backwards slightly).

Hanako-sensei clapped lightly, "Beautifully done. Let's see the damage."

She strolled up to the three and yanked out five senbon needles, that seemed microscopic if not for the sun's reflection.

"Very nicely done! But I must ask, where did you receive these from?" The jounin asked.

Maiko rubbed the back of her head, "It's a family technique. My cousin gave me my own so I could train. That was barely half of the technique's real power."

She scratched her nose and smirked.

_But I'll learn it one day._

The senbon needles were handed back to her and Hiromi shuffled her feet.

Her sensei made a motion to her, "Come, Miss Sato."

* * *

><p><strong>POV change - Hiromi<strong>

"A-ah.. Sensei.. I'm not .. really... talented."

. . .

"At all."

"Please, Miss Sato. Everyone has talent. We are a team. No one shall laugh at you."

The blonde was grateful her sensei hadn't gone berserk, but was still a tad bit disappointed.

She really was untalented.

She knew that one jutsu they had to learn in order to become 'genin', and one her mom had taught her whenever she got hurt, and that one her dad taught her.. Oh! She could use that one!

Hiromi got into position before spinning in a delicate circle, with her hands making the symbol for 'Rabbit' or 'Hare'[A/N : See Google for details].

"Ha no dansu*!"

Leaves slowly gathered around the small girl until it was a tornado of leaves.

She continued to spin (it was beginning to hurt her toes, but she continued), then threw her arms out in front of her.

She twirled a final time before jumping onto the balls of her feet and pushing her arms out once again.

This time, the leaf tornado followed the movement and moved quickly towards crashed into a tree.

Maiko cheered.

Kotone watched.  
>Hanako-sensei smiled.<p>

The leaves' momentum abruptly died down right before slicing the tree and collapsed into a big pile.

. . .

Hiromi hung her head and cried comically.  
>Hanako-sensei patted her back with a graceful grin, "A fine show, indeed! But I'm afraid you'll have to work on it some."<br>Maiko resisted the urge to roll around on the ground laughing.

Kotone reached down and picked up a leaf.

"Your jutsu failed because you did not thoroughly cover the leaves with your chakra. Perhaps this analysis of your technique will help you perfect it."

Her blonde teammate wiped away her tears and smiled, "Th-thanks."

Silence engulfed them momentarily before Hanako-sensei sighed, "It's becoming quite late. Your parents would surely be flustered if I were to send you home in the midst of the night, so go on home, everyone."

She turned, her dress dancing behind her, and strolled away, humming.

Hiromi wiped her eyes on her sleeve before bowing to her teammates, "I'll be taking my leave. Thank you for helping me today."

Then she started walking home.

* * *

><p>Hiromi took the longest route possible back to her house.<p>

She kicked rocks and cans into by standing fences (the horror) and hung her head whenever someone passed her.

Of all days, it was today that she had decided to totally mess up a jutsu.

Of course.

She was Hiromi.

The cute airhead.

She stomped a can into the ground.

"No!" She growled.

She hated being an airhead.

She didn't want to be an airhead, but she always managed to be one.

Always.

She didn't like being seen as the 'little sister' figure.

She wanted to be taken seriously, despite her small size and overall adorable appearance.

She wanted to be stronger.

She wanted to be such a strong kunoichi that people had to respect and fear her.

Hiromi took a deep breath.

Maybe she was just meant to be that cute little girl no one took seriously.

Maybe it was fate.

_Fate. Ha. _

The blonde looked up at the stars.

Yes, it was quite late, considering she had taken the long route home.

"Hiromi?"

She spun around quickly and smiled in relief when she saw Kiba with his hood down and Akamaru poking out of his jacket.

"Oh, hey, Kiba. I'm sorry for earlier. I had to get some food then return to my sensei.."

He smirked his signature smirk before resting his hands behind his head, "No prob! What team were you put on, anyway?"  
>"T-team Fourteen with, uh, Maiko Arakawa and Kotone Kimiko."<p>

"Sweet! Isn't Kotone that weirdo?"

"Kiba! She's not all that bad."

"Eh. She's just weird lookin', I'm with Hinata and Shino."

"Shino..? Doesn't he really like bugs?"

"Yeah! Turns out they're in his body! It's disgusting."  
>Akamaru barked in agreement and Hiromi giggled.<p>

They walked in comfortable silence until finally Kiba pointed out that the blonde should probably get home and she frantically waved 'good bye' before rushing home.

* * *

><p><strong>POV change - Maiko<strong>

The green-haired girl was running home as quickly as possible.

Oh man, was her cousin going to be proud!

Who cares about the fight anymore?

She was going to blow him away with news that she was able to complete the senbon technique!

Maiko kept running until she collided with the door to her house and threw it open, tossing her shoes somewhere on the floor and slamming the door behind her.

"Dai!"

There was no reply so she sighed.

"Yes?"

She practically had a heart attack when her cousin's feminine face popped around the corner from the kitchen.

"Hey! D-don't scare me like that!"

Dai's dark eyes sparkled and he yanked her into a hug, "Oh, Mai! You're not mad anymore, are you?"

The tomboy shook her head and shrugged him off, "No, no, I'm not. I just want you to know what I did! I did the senbon technique!"

Her cousin pulled her into another bone breaking hug and she struggled to breath.

Daisuke squealed, "I'm so proud of you! It took me a few years to perfect the senbon technique, and you did it! Today! I'm so happy for you! Where did it happen? Did you kill an assassin?"

Maiko choked, "I-... can't breath!"

The young man released her and sat down on the ground, patting the floor in front of him.

"Tell me everything, little sister."  
>Her scowl turned into a boyish grin as she fell to the ground and used vivid hand motions to explain how she completed the technique.<p>

Daisuke wasn't even paying attention.

He was only looking at her eyes.

_They haven't shined like this in a long time.._

* * *

><p><strong>POV change - Kotone<strong>

The moon was high in the sky, but she simply lay atop of her blankets which were perfectly tucked onto the bed.

Her eyes were wide open and she was not dressed in any form of pajamas.

Silence engulfed her and pain vibrated throughout her entire being.

**Never disobey me. **

A voice that didn't belong to her (did she ever have her own voice? Her own being?) replied.

"Yes, my lord."

A tear, accompanied by a thousand pounds of pressure on her left eye, slipped down her cheek.

**Never disobey me. **

"Yes, my lord. I am yours and yours only, my lord."

Then she enclosed herself in darkness, and lulled herself to close her eyes.

But the visions came back.

-:-

_The boy with the ocean eyes stared at her with a deadly glare, protectively standing over his sister. _

_The guard had the keys. _

_She marched up to him with as much swagger and pride a five year old could have, and poked him in the chest angrily. _

"_I'm thirsty, maggot!" _

_The guard cringed and grumbled, "Yes, Your Highness." _

_He slithered off and as he passed the little girl, she snatched his keys. _

_The man didn't even seem to notice. _

_She tiptoed to the cage, where the boy was bleeding and the girl was crying, _

_He growled, as though a beast and not a boy, at her when she approached the gate. _

_She whispered softly to him, "Please do not be angry with my people. My father is an evil man who will do anything to rid of his brother's children. Allow me to help you, Akivi. Please."  
>The boy stared at her, still with a vile glare, and did not reply. <em>

_The girl completely ignored his silence and shoved the gate open after fiddling with the keys. _

_She offered her hand to him. _

_. . ._

"_Please. I want to help you escape. What we have done to you is..." _

_Her eyes wandered to the bleeding, younger girl on the ground. _

"_Disgusting" She finished. _

_Such an understatement._

_The boy spat at her hand and she took a step back._

_She heard the guard coming closer. _

_The wind carried the sound to her ears with a warning. _

_Save them! Quickly! It said. _

_The girl built up her courage and walked towards the boy and grabbed his arm, causing him to squirm and attempt to bite her. _

"_Let me save you, boy!" She ordered. _

_The young girl behind him sobbed even louder and the wind carried the guard's quickened footsteps to the other. _

_Her eyes became urgent and she gently cupped the boy's face. _

"_You must follow me. They will kill you if you stay. Follow me. I will set you free."  
>His ocean eyes softened and his voice came out handsome and strong, "What about my sister?" <em>

_The girl grabbed his hand, "Carry her."_

_-:-_

She woke up when thunder boomed in the distance.

She hadn't even realized she had fallen asleep.

A tear slipped out again and this time, she writhed in pain.

**Never disobey me.**

**Don't remember. **

**Never remember.**

****. . .

"Yes, my lord."

* * *

><p><strong>Read and review, onegai! :)<strong>


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N : So many chapters and so many reviews! I guess I just really like this story, huh! And I just think nine (or whatever it is.. I should've memorized it by now) reviews is amazing! Anywayyyyzz. Wazzzup.**

**Thanks to.. **

****indescribable music - Thank you very much for reviewing and alerting! And your review was so positive! It made my day :) My reply - _Thank you so much for reviewing! I love reviews and I love you! I will keep it up as long as you LIVE! Okay.. Maybe.. That.. came out wrong. But, yeah, I'll keep it up! Thanks for reading and reviewing and putting butterflies in my belly!_

**-:-**

****Tough chick - Thank you so much for reviewing and faving! I LOVE REVIEWS! They make me feel like an idolu! :) I know. I'm weird. My reply - _YAY! I'm so glad you don't know what's happening! I'd like to keep the whole story shrouded in mystery... YAYAYAYA! You've made me so happy! Anyways, :P thanks so much for reading and reviewing and just being awesome. _

**-:-**

spiritgem94 - Thanks so much for reviewing! This.. is the .. second time? I dunno how to count :) Anyways! Thank you so much for reviewing! Everybody who reviews is allowed to marry my story. Except, no babies. Not until she's older. ANYWAYS! My reply - _! This review was so long and made me so HIGH *Cough* I mean happy! Thank you very much! I don't really know exactly how you knew the framing, so that means that you just must be uber awesome! THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU! I know this is going to sound/look stupid but... What's chieko? ... Don't answer that. I'm an idiot. It's probably something I already know and forgot... Haha.. Ha.. Anyways, thanks for reading and reviewing!_

__**-:-**

******That.. should be it. If you reviewing, faved, or alerted and you are not mentioned, I give you permission to kick a ball into my tummy while I play goalie. **

**-:-**

**Disclaimer - Knock knock! **

Who's there?

**Disclaimer!**

Disclaimer who?

**DISCLAIMED, BEOTCH!**

O.o

**... I'll leave. **

**-:-**

**Please enjoy the story!**

* * *

><p><strong>POV - Kotone <strong>

-:-

When she opened her eyes, it was sunny and bright.

She sat up and turned to face the window.

It was morning.

Kotone slipped off her bed and walked to the door.

She gently slid on her geta and strode out of her apartment.

Before she locked the door behind her, she saw what looked like a puddle of water on the floor.

. . .

**Never remember. **

**I am your master.**

**No one else matters.**

. . .

The pale girl sauntered to it and stared at it intently.

So blue..

What was blue?

She sat there, motionless, until she finally wiped up the water with a towel.

Afterwards, she finally exited her apartment, with an impassive glance behind her.

_Blue..._

* * *

><p><strong>POV change - No one<strong>

-:-

Hanako-sensei arrived late.

As usual.

Maiko had thrown a fit, Hiromi had calmed her down, and Kotone had stood off to the side with no comment.

The beautiful jounin hung her head and twitched.

"Shut up, you brat! Be glad I'm even here! I could be eating ramen! Now SHUT YOUR MOUTH and let me talk!"

Hiromi fell to the ground and Maiko blinked owlishly.

The woman chuckled and flipped her hair.

"Pardon me. Now, let's see.. What did I want to tell you..?"  
>Maiko's odd eyes twitched, "Something... about.. us?"<br>Hanako-sensei snapped her fingers and smiled in realization, "Ah! I remembered. Today we are going on our first mission."  
>Maiko punched the air, "Heck yeah! I've been waiting for this for years!"<p>

Hiromi giggled, "Amazing! What level mission is it, sensei?"

Kotone added no comment.

"Well, good. It's a D mission. I'm afraid we won't be doing anything quite as exhilarating as saving the Hokage from pure evil, but we're doing the next best thing!"

Maiko raised a brow, "What?"

* * *

><p>"This. Is. Not. The. Next. Best. Thing."<p>

Hanako-sensei flipped a page in her book, "I couldn't quite hear you, Arakawa-san.. Perhaps you should finish _then _speak?"

The green-haired genin threw her weeds down onto the ground and stamped them into the ground.

"I'm sick and tired of this! This isn't a mission! This is picking weeds for an old hag!"

Hiromi wiped the sweat off of her brow and put a hand on her friend's shoulder, "Maiko-chan.. I think what Hanako-sensei was trying to say is.. This is what we have to start with! D missions! Then I guess we can move up to C's.. And then B's! Then A's!"

Hanako-sensei nodded absentmindedly, "Exactly."  
>Maiko snatched her weeds back up and grumbled some curses under her breath.<p>

"Stupid sensei."

_Yank!_

"Stupid mission.."

_Yank!_

"Stupid old hag."

_Yank!_

"Stupid weeds.."

This time when the green-haired girl attempted to yank out the weed, she stopped midway and looked at Kotone.

Her pile of weeds was almost as tall as herself...

"Whoa, Kotone.. You some kind of weed detector?" She asked, finally tugging out the weed and standing, stretching out her long limbs.

The pale girl turned towards her partner.

"A weed is very different in appearance than the herbs this human (_Huh? Why didn't she say lady?)_ is growing. I am able to detect these weeds by scanning over their outer appearance."

Maiko rubbed the back of her head, "Uhh.. Cool.. GAHH... I wish I could do that.. I'm so tired.. And I think I already pulled out a few herbs.."

Hiromi let out a sigh, "I think I did, too.. Don't worry much about it."

She turned to look at her sensei, who was sitting calmly underneath the shade of a large oak.

"Sensei! Do you think we're done here?"

The beautiful woman stood up and stuffed her book in her bag.

She looked over the garden the woman who had hired them had and nodded, "Well! Arakawa-san, Kimiko-san, Sato-san! Looks like we're all done here. I'll go tell her and we're off for our next mission, hmm?"

* * *

><p>From walking dogs (Hiromi's least favorite because she got a very strong dog) to chasing children around (Maiko's least favorite because ... just because). The three genin and their lovely sensei traveled from one part of town to another, doing the oddest jobs they could possibly find.<p>

Their current mission?

Find a cat.

A stupid cat.

No, no, not a special cat. Just a cat.

White with black spots.

A tail that curls at the end and an earring.

A ridiculously pampered cat.

Maiko sighed into her headset.

_Man this sucks. _

Hiromi timidly peered around the tree she was hidden behind.

_This isn't exactly.. the best mission. _

Kotone sat, perched in a tree.

She spoke softly, but impassively into the headset, "Sensei, I have detected a mass of twelve pounds up and two ounces up ahead. Shall I pursue?"

Hanako-sensei was unknowingly (to her students, that is) sitting on a bench, shielding her face from the sun with an umbrella.

"Does it look like our target?"

Maiko's voice was carried in, and it was louder and rougher than Kotone's.

"Yeah! I see it. It's.. just kinda sitting there (under her breath she added, "I think it's eating a bird..") .. Should, I, you know, get it?"

"Sato-san, what do you see?" She twirled the umbrella with a graceful smile.

"I, uhh... I _think_ I see her.. I can't really tell.. Should we try and get her?"

Hanako-sensei put a finger to her chin in thought, "Hmm.. Go for it."  
>"KYAHH!"<p>

"Maiko-chan! No!"

. . .

The beautiful jounin stretched and shut her umbrella.

. . .

Kotone's voice carried through the headset.

"Mission accomplished, sensei. We are returning to rendezvous point."

* * *

><p>When the three girls returned, Hanako-sensei couldn't help but stifle a laugh.<p>

Maiko was covered in scratches and Hiromi was cooing softly at a cat that rested in her arms.

"Here's the stupid cat. Let's go" The green-haired genin growled.

Her blonde friend gently pat the black and white cat on the head.

It purred loudly.

"Ah! You caught her. Good, good. Let's go on back to the Hokage, hmm?"

* * *

><p>Maiko slammed her hands down on the stand that the Hokage was sitting at.<p>

The jounin beside the old coot stood up and started to scold her, but he stopped midway.

"I'm sick and tired of this stupidity! I don't want to go baby-sit some brat! I want to go on a _real _mission! Like, I don't know! Just stop giving us baby mission! We're genin now!"

Hanako-sensei snatched the girl's ear.

"You idiot! We're getting missions that you should be freakin' thankful for! Now, get your bony butt back with your teammates while I get another mission. Hmm?"

The green-haired girl was tossed backwards and her sensei straightened herself, politely bowing.  
>"I apologize for my student, Hokage-sama."<p>

The old man pulled his hat up some and coughed into his fist before replying.  
>"It's no problem.. Are you here for a D mission, Hanako? Or a C?"<p>

The dark haired beauty peered over her shoulder at her students.

Kotone was staring blankly at her two teammates as Hiromi scolded Maiko and Maiko crossed her arms.

She sighed.

"Yes, Hokage-sama. I'm here for a D ranked mission."

Maiko growled.

Hiromi scratched the back of her head.

Kotone stared blankly.

The Hokage handed her a sheet of paper that she looked over before folding it and placing it in her bag.

She bowed again before walking to her students.

Hanako-sensei pinched Maiko's ear before scolding her, then dragging her out of the building, followed by the other two.

* * *

><p><strong>POV change - Maiko<strong>

-:-

At the end of the day, she was sore all over and her legs were aching like crazy.

As she strolled home, she saw a familiar spiky ponytail and her aches had suddenly vanished.

"Shikamaru!"

The lazy genin turned and let Maiko hug him, despite the fact that he hated it when Ino did so.

"Hey."

Maiko released him and put her hands on her hips, "Man! Today was so sucky! I feel like falling over and just sleepin'!"

Shikamaru sighed, "Man. What a drag."

The green-haired girl nodded, "Yeah, I know! What about your team? You guys do much?"

The spiky haired boy stretched out his arms and let out a yawn before replying.

"A ton of chores. It was such a drag."

Maiko did vivid motions with her hands, "Yeah, yeah! I know! I had to walk somebody's dog, chase somebody's cat, and pull somebody's weeds! It was horrible! And we never got to eat lunch! My stomach feels all cold inside from the lack of food.."

Shikamaru raised a brow with a knowing smirk. She always did this when she didn't eat.

"Really? If you want (oh what a drag this would be, but he felt compelled), I'll get you some Ichiraku's. It's close by and I was planning on heading over there anyway."

The green-haired girl's eyes sparkled and she snatched the boy into a bone-crushing hug.

"Thanks so much, Shika! Let's go, let's go!"

The girl took point and lead Shikamaru by his hand.

He sighed.

So _not_ worth it.

* * *

><p><strong>POV change - Hiromi<strong>

-:-

Hiromi had arrived at home right before being sent back out to buy groceries.

She strolled through the aisles with a basket, and sighed.

Maybe her parents were discussing a mission?

No they'd tell her.

An important threat to the Hokage?

She shrugged to herself.

Maybe.

The blonde knelt down to check out the date on some milk before a familiar aura appeared behind her.

She twirled around, feeling someone's eyes on her, and smiled when she saw Kiba, also with some groceries of his own.

His sister was beside him.

She was so gorgeous, and some times Hiromi mistook the woman for Kiba's mother.

"Hey, Hiromi! What are you doing out so late?" The boy and his dog had their signature looks on; a smirk and a happy tail wagging.

His sister said nothing, but nodded to her respectfully before turning around and looking at another aisle.

"Oh, just doing some grocery shopping for my parents.. I guess they really needed some milk.." She suddenly giggled, adding, "Or they just wanted me out of the house."

Kiba smirked boyishly with a charming laugh (NO. She did NOT think he was charming. Puhlease.) before picking up some milk as well.

"Ah, don't worry 'bout it. My mom always kicks me outta the house! Right, Akamaru?"

The little, light colored dog barked in agreement and Hiromi covered her gasp with her hand, almost like a princess would (NO. He did NOT think she was a princess. Puhlease.).

"Oh.. That's awful! Don't you get let back in?"

Kiba shook his head (which was covered by his furry hood) before replying, "Nah. Sometimes I'm out there for hours, but it's alright. I usually get a whole lot of trainin' done!"

At this point, Akamaru was barking spontaneously as though trying to explain something to the blonde girl in front of him.

Not fearing the canine teeth, she leaned down and pet Akamaru with a girlish smile.

"Such a cutie! I wish my parents would let _me _have a dog.. But they think I'd forget to feed it.." She sighed.

Kiba, though, barked out a laugh.

"I can see you doing that!"

As she attempted to swat him, her basket spilled some groceries onto the ground and the blonde crossed her arms.

"Ahh.. Darn."

She and Kiba picked them up (sometimes grabbing something at the same time and touching hands. Not like that meant anything) and right as soon as the milk was placed back in the red basket, Kiba's big sister arrived.

"Hey, Kiba. We're done here!" She said.

Her voice was just as beautiful and bold as herself.

Kiba nodded, and turned to Hiromi with a boyish grin.

"See ya later, Hiromi!"

She waved numbly to him as he retreated with his sister before letting out a breath she didn't know she was holding.

-:-

When Hiromi walked out of the market, the wind was howling and blowing insanely.

She was quite scared.

What scared her the most was the fact that she saw Kotone sitting nearby, not even fazed by her white hair spinning around her.

Hiromi marched her way over to her friend, holding her jacket close to her.

_It was so sunny when I walked in there.. I wonder what happened. _

"Kotone! What are you doing out here? You need to go home and get out of this storm!" She yelled over the wind.

The pale girl turned her head towards her friend.

"I've been hearing voices lately."

Hiromi raised a brow and just barely caught her ribbon as the wind forced it out of her hair.

"Voices?" She asked.

Kotone looked away and up at the sky.

"It always sounds like.. They're fighting. Is this .. normal?"

Hiromi smiled, pitying.

Kotone looked away from her pity and up at the raging wind.

"They... are so angry."

"The voices?"

"The wind."

"Huh?"

The pale girl stood up and walked away without another word, or any other sound.

The wind died down two minutes afterwards.

* * *

><p><strong>POV change - Kotone<strong>

-:-

When she returned to her apartment, she couldn't help but feel as though she was being watched.

The pale girl looked around every room in the small space before sauntering into her own room and falling softly onto her bed, not having much weight to threaten it with.

Then she closed her eyes.

And there they were again.

-:-

_They were running this time. _

_Faster than ever before. _

_The girl was in the lead, dragging the boy close behind her, who was carrying the littler girl. _

_Their bare feet stormed through puddles and dry sand until they stopped behind some river plants that had yet to be named. _

_They were all breathing heavily except for the little girl. She was in hysterics. _

"_You must silence her," The eldest girl hissed, "she will give us away." _

_The boy glared at her again before trying to calm his sister with an embrace. _

_When she simply cried more, the emerald eyed girl stood up and sat behind her. _

"_You have beautiful hair." _

_She ran a pale hand through the snow-white locks. _

"_I wish I had white hair sometimes. I've always hated having brown hair." _

_Silence. _

"_What is your name?"_

_Silence._

_Then a reply. _

"_Aiko." _

_The brunette smiled, "A beautiful name. And yours, young man?"_

_She was so mature for a five year old. _

_The boy glanced at her with his beautiful eyes. _

"_Akio. We're twins."  
>"Oh! Amazing.. I am a single child." <em>

_She stood up and brushed off her silk dress that had collected some sand, before picking up Aiko._

_Akio raised a brow, "Are you sure?" _

_She nodded before glancing past his shoulder and dropping to the ground, taking the boy with her.  
>"What, what?" He asked. <em>

_Her emerald eyes were filled with fear, but determination. _

"_They're coming." _

Kotone rolled around in her bed, hitting herself roughly in the head.

**Never remember. **

_Remember! Learn!_

**I am your one and only master. **

_You are free! _

**You are mine. **

The voices went back and forth, one to the other, until Kotone finally simply lay on her bed , motionless.

There was only voice now, and for some odd reason, she looked even more dead than usual.

**Never remember. **

**You are mine. **

**No one else matters. **

. . .

"Yes, my lord."

.

.

.

_Blue..._


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Hello! I'm UBER EXCITED TODAY! BECUZZ... I HAD SO MANY REVIEWS! I was so uber happy when I saw all of them.. And I was inspired to write this! I'm probably favoring this story just because of the reviews... Haha... Ha.. Ha... Hm.**

****-:-

**THANKS TO - **

_REVIEWS - _

******JerrieHigarashi16** - Scary..? I'm glad you used that word! I'm trying to make it dark, but you know.. I... Never mind.. I'm not making sense... Thank you very much! I like unique OC's :) And thank you so much for reviewing! I wub you!

-.-.-.-

**indescribable music** - Thank you! I wouldn't say 'great'... You're making me blush X) Anyways! Thank you very much for reviewing~! I love reviews and I love you!

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* * *

><p><strong>Ha no dansu - Dance of the Leaves<strong>

**Kaze no ha - Blade of the Wind**

**Tori no hiko - The Flight of the Bird**

* * *

><p><strong>POV change - Hiromi<strong>

-:-

When the cheery blonde made it to the training area, everyone else was already there (after all these weeks of mission of training, she thought she'd be prepared).

"Oh! I'm sorry! I hope I didn't make everyone wait for a long time! I just had to stop by and buy my lunch!"

Hanako-sensei brushed the words off with a graceful wave of her hand, "Don't fret about it, Sato-san. But now we can get started with our training, hmm? Maybe I'll even let you have a special surprise at the end of our practice?"

Maiko smirked, "Is it worth training for?"  
>The beautiful woman pinched the green-haired girl's ear, tugging on it roughly, "Very valuable, <em>Arakawa-san.<em>"

The tomboy was shoved away and her sensei pulled out a small book.

"Go on ahead. Do your thing. I'll be here if you require my assistance."

-:-

Hiromi closed her eyes.

_Focus._

_Focus. _

_Focus. _

She got into position, having her hands in the hand sign 'Rabbit' or 'Hare'.

She spun in a delicate circle.

"Ha no dansu!"

_Disperse your chakra.. Slowly.. But thoroughly. _

_Lock out everything else. _

Slowly, but beautifully, the leaves gathered around her, in a slight tornado formation.

_Coat them with your chakra.. Like a paintbrush going over a canvas, just like Mom said. _

She twirled, throwing out her arms in front of her.

_Now take the leaves with you.. And jump!_

Hiromi leapt (almost like a ballerina) out of the tornado and onto the balls of her feet, once again throwing her arms in front of her.

With speed she couldn't even imagine, the tornado flew past her, causing her long braid to dance, and crashed into a tree.

She threw a fist up in the air and cheered, "Yeah! I did it!"  
>The leaves, coated with the blonde's chakra, had sliced up the tree in random places, being a much better response than her first try.<p>

The blonde couldn't have been more happy.

"Yeah! I did it, sensei! Did you see? Were you watching?"

Hanako-sensei peered at her from behind her book, hiding a proud smile.

"Ah. Very good, Sato-san! Perhaps now you can perfect it and improve it."  
>The genin couldn't help but sigh.<p>

_Even more hard work.._

"O-okay! I'll do it until I'll never fail!"

* * *

><p><strong>POV change - Maiko<strong>

-:-

Her technique had many flaws in it.

She had to twirl in the air and throw the needles at the correct time so that she didn't throw them off randomly.

The green-haired tomboy took a deep breath.

_You can't do this while you're antsy. _

_Calm yourself down.. Then go!_

She placed a hand in front of her and spread out her fingers.

Unknown to her other teammates, senbon needles were hidden behind her long sleeves that overlapped her hands, stuck at each knuckle.

She flicked her wrist, coaxing them out of their hiding place and appearing between each finger, which she now pressed together.

_Okay. Here we go. Just remember what Dai taught you. _

She took a few long, graceful steps before leaping up into the air and spinning.

_Okay.. Okay.. Now!_

She flicked her wrist yet again, and this time, all five needles flew out of her sight and into the trunk of a tree with a delicate, but effective 'thump'.

Maiko landed a bit more gracefully than she had her first time observed the damage done.

"Not too shabby," She said to herself, "I could work on having more needles... Perhaps using both hands."  
>She yanked out her needles and smirked at their almost perfect condition (one was bent all the way over and another was curved).<p>

"Now I've just gotta do it until I've mastered it."

* * *

><p><strong>POV change - No one<strong>

-:-

Everyone had practiced their butts off and it was only noon.

Maiko had face-planted into the dirt and started snoring.

Hiromi had one hand on a tree, and another on her knee as she panted.

Kotone was standing off to the side, taking a small break from performing jutsus non-stop (literally.. she was amazing).

Hanako-sensei shut her book and smiled, "I guess you guys want your surprise now, huh?"

Maiko raised her dirt-covered face from the ground, "Yeah... I'm so tired.. I can't feel my legs."  
>Hiromi panted out a reply, "Y-y-y-yes, puh... please, sen-sen-sensei.."<p>

Hanako-sensei grinned, taking out the bookmark in her book and fanning her face with it.

Kotone stared impassively at it before saying, "Chunin exams entry."

. . .

Maiko flew up from the ground and into her sensei's face.

"Whoa! Really? We're going to the chunin exams? Really, sensei? Really?"

She was tossed backwards and Hanako-sensei crossed her arms.

"Why, yes. You are. But remember this," her smile grew, "only teams of three can enter. Not two. If one of you decides she can't handle it, you're all out. Besides, I think I already signed all of you up.. I can't quite remember. That meeting was really boring.."  
>Hiromi's knees shook even more than they were originally.<p>

_But... I'm not strong enough!_

"Sensei.. I..." Her voice failed her and she looked away.

Maiko gripped the blonde's shoulders and shook them, "C'mon, Hiromi! Smell the beef (what an odd term.. Must've learned it from Choji)! We can go to the CHUNIN EXAMS! And become chunin!"  
>Kotone shifted her gaze from the sky to a tree she had razed.<p>

"Or we can fail and retry the following year."  
>Hiromi gulped, "B-but.. There'll be so many people.. And all of them wanting it, too.. And doesn't only one person get to become a chunin? Or something?"<p>

Maiko released her shoulders and poked her in the chest, "It doesn't matter! We can go! Fight! And freakin' win!"

"There is a small chance, fourteen percent, that we may win. But if we do participate, we may have more experience for the upcoming year" Kotone added.  
>Hanako-sensei nodded, "Mmhm! And then you might be more ready than ever before."<br>The most petite of the three genin hung her head, "B-but.. I don't.. I don't know.."

Maiko patted her heartily on the back, "C'mon! No harm in it! It'll be fun! (And Shikamaru will be there, she added in her head)"

Hiromi stumbled forwards and nervously rubbed the back of her head, "O-okay.. But.."

Maiko pumped a fist into the air, "Yeah! We're going to the chunin exams!"

Hiromi hung her head again, "Oh.. but I'm not nearly as strong as you two.. I only know three jutsus and Kotone's got a whole book of them!"  
>The pale girl turned at the mention of her name.<p>

Maiko shrugged, "Who cares. You've got a healing one, right?"

A nod.

"Then you _have _to come with us!"

Hiromi sighed.

There wasn't a way out of this.. Was there?

Hanako-sensei clapped and smiled, "Well I'm glad that's settled! I've got a dat- I've got somewhere to be, so you girls can just go adventure to your hearts desire! Okay? Good bye!"  
>She turned around and ran out of the girl's sight, her flowing dress dancing.<p>

Maiko crossed her arms and smirked, "Chunin, huh? We'd be really young.. And I'd be the same level as my cousin!"  
>"And my parents" Hiromi added.<p>

They both peered over at Kotone to listen for a comment, but she said nothing.

Hiromi lightly coughed into her hand, "Uhh.. Kotone? Do you have any relatives that are chunin?"

The pale girl gazed at the blonde before replying, "No. I have no family in Konoha."

Maiko blinked.

"Where... is your family, then?"  
>. . .<p>

"That's classified."

. . .

Hiromi stood up and stretched, "Well, we should at least go and eat somewhere. Maybe if we get to know each other better we can strategize better?"

Maiko nodded in agreement, "Can we go to Ichiraku's? It was really tasty.."

The genin with the long braid giggled, "It was, wasn't it? I guess we can go. What about you, Kotone? Any suggestions?"

The pale girl shook her head and the girls were off.

* * *

><p>"So, I wonder what kind of people will be there? You think folk from other lands are coming?" Maiko asked with her hands locked behind her head.<p>

Hiromi held her hands behind her back, looking up at the sky, "Maybe.. It'd be nice to meet some new people from different places.."

The green-haired tomboy snorted, "What if they're snobs? I've never met someone else from another land; not even another village!"

The blonde gasped, placing her sparkling eyes on her fiery friend, "Really? Neither have I! My mom and dad would sometimes bring back friends from other villages, but I never really met them. They all look a lot different from us."

Maiko's odd eyes closed, "Hmmm.. That's weird. So, like, they have different hair styles and skin color?"

Hiromi nodded vigorously, "Yeah! Sometimes it's pretty and sometimes it's just weird!"

The tomboy couldn't help but bark out a laugh, opening her eyes and smirking boyishly.

"I can just imagine some random foreigner coming and looking like a retard! Hahaha! Maybe they wear that 'make up' stuff there!"

The sweet girl with the braid couldn't help but giggle, but disaster struck.

* * *

><p>It was just a bump.<p>

A slight collision.

That was it.

But it was enough.

* * *

><p>"Watch where you're going!"<p>

Hiromi squeaked loudly and looked up.

_A foreigner.. Wearing make up.._

The boy was so much taller than the blonde genin that he loomed over her.

He was wearing some sort of black suite and had magenta make up on his face.

Something wrapped up with bandages was on his back.

_It looks like a body.._

She took a step back, but Maiko took a step forward.

"It's not her fault, you ugly pig! Who the heck are you anyway? Those headband symbols ain't Konoha!"

The boy gritted his teeth and reached for the body on his back, but his companion (they just now noticed her) appeared from behind his bulky figure.

"Kankuro, you idiot," the girl sighed.

Her eyes wandered to the three genin.

Maiko was glaring.

_What odd eyes. Like ripples of water. _

"Well?" The tomboy growled, crossing her arms, the act proving difficult with her big sleeves.

"Who the heck are you? Why are you even here? Oh!"

She snapped her pale fingers and smirked, "You must be here for the Chunin Exams."

The foreign girl with the odd hairstyle (it was four ponytails all on the back of her head) frowned, "Way to go, Sherlock. You figured out the obvious."

Maiko took a step forward, "Shut up! C'mon, Hiromi, Kotone. I'm starving and these idiots made be pissed!"

Her blonde friend with the long braid stared fearfully at Kankuro and the other girl before timidly bowing and trotting towards her green-haired friend.

"You coming, Kotone?" She asked, turning slightly to look at her pale friend.

But then she noticed something.

. . .

The girl's hands were in tight fists, shaking angrily.

. . .

"K-... Koto... ne?"

* * *

><p>Something snapped.<p>

The sound of it snapping was loud and echoing.

At first, Maiko thought it was a bone.

Hiromi thought someone had stepped on something.

But little did they know, that it was not a bone, or even a physical object.

. . . . . .

. . . .

. . .

. .

.

But a spiritual string.

* * *

><p><strong>POV change - Kotone<strong>

-:-

Everything was blood red except for the boy with the body.

No.

Not a body.

But a puppet.

The last word resounded through out her skull.

Puppet.

Puppet.

Puppet.

She didn't even realize the blood dripping from her clenched fists.

Her body moved on it's own, towards the boy.

Kankuro, she heard.

Left.

Right.

Left. Right.

Forward.

She marched towards him until she stood directly in front of him, her head almost to his chin.

His mouth moved, but no words reached Kotone's ears.

The only thing she could see was him.

Everything else was blood red.

No matter where she looked, she saw red (was she looking anywhere at all?).

Her eyes were burning and the pain was so strong that it stung her insides.

Kotone was hollow inside.

Her right hand moved in slow motion towards the boy.

Up... Up.. Towards his throat.

Her fingers wrapped around his throat easily and began to squeeze.

. . .

**Kill him. **

. . .

She had never, ever disobeyed her lord before.

She was squeezing even harder now, and the boy was lifted off the ground, slowing losing consciousness and the ability to fight her.

No, not the ability.

But the willpower.

. . .

**Kill him. Now. **

. . .

And so she did.

* * *

><p><strong>POV change - No one<strong>

-:-

Kotone had never moved this fast before.

Hiromi had only to blink, then she saw that the pale girl had lifted the boy by his throat.

She had never screamed as loud as then.

"Kotone! Stop!" She shouted.

The other blonde girl stared in shock, paralyzed by fear or simply surprise.

Maiko had also run towards her friend, but had slowed to a walk, then simply stopped moving at all.

Her eyes were wide with fear.

Kotone had never done this before.

Never.

Kankuro struggled and struggled, shouting profanities and kicking her in the face, but nothing seemed to move Kotone at all.

She continued to suffocate him.

Hiromi laid a hand on her friend's shoulder and the paler of the two turned her head.

The blonde took a step back.

Then another.

Then another.

It was like.. her body was moving on its own.

"Kotone, stop!" She yelled.

Kankuro's companion finally snapped to her senses and charged at Kotone with agility.

"Let go of him!" She shrieked.

Kotone raised her other hand and smacked the girl away.

It didn't look like that much of a blow, but the girl was sent flying, then tumbling, then finally crashing into someone else's fence.

Kankuro's eyes had started to droop and Maiko still stood perfectly still, frozen by fear or perhaps by the unknown force that seemed to keep Hiromi from moving as well.

. . .

It was all moving too fast.

But this.. What happened next.. Was almost too slow.

. . .

* * *

><p><strong>POV change - Kotone<strong>

-:-

Sand.

. . .

That's what saved this boy's life.

. . .

Sand.

It wrapped itself around the hand she was using to choke Kankuro and immediately, she sensed it meant to kill, so she leapt backwards and yanked her arm out of the sand cocoon.

. . .

No longer did she see blood, but other colors were beginning to form.

Someone from her team leapt towards her and laid her hands on Kotone's shoulders.

"Kotone! Why did you do that? Kotone!" She yelled.

The other was still frozen.

This time, the pale girl ignored her teammate and stared over her shoulder with snow-white eyes that contained a white pupils as well.

. . .

A boy, around her height, maybe taller, materialized in front of Kankuro, his arms crossed and an expression of absolutely nothing.

Immediately, Kotone believed that was what she herself looked like.

No emotion.

No expression.

No love.

No compassion.

No mercy.

He took a step towards Kotone and the blonde genin.

The pale girl shoved her teammate away and stepped forward as well.

But instead of provoking a battle, she bowed robotically, the absence of emotion being felt by the foreigners.

Then she walked past them, meeting eye contact with the shorter boy as she did so.

"Let us go, Hiromi. Maiko."

. . .

The blonde was flustered, and shook Maiko into reality.

She then bowed, apologizing shyly before running after her pale teammate.

The green-haired one glanced at Kankuro, who was receiving a scolding and attempting to breath, before trotting stiffly after her team as well.

* * *

><p><strong>POV change - No one<strong>

-:-

The meal was awkward and silent.

The two girls with feelings stared in fear at their partner.

During the wait for their meal (Maiko and Hiromi, at least) , the blonde one cleared her throat and spoke.

"Kotone.. What was that back there? You've never acted like that before.."

The snow-white child did not reply, and stood up.

"I do not eat. I will return to my home and possibly come in contact with you in the near future."

The wording was impossibly strange and Hiromi and Maiko stared as Kotone left the ramen shop and disappeared before their eyes.

"I..." Maiko started to whisper, but her voice failed her.

. . .

"I," she tried again, her voice stronger this time, ".. I think... She's.. She... uh... She needs us."

Hiromi raised a brow, "Why do you think that?"

The green-haired looked away.

"She said.. She.. uh.. had no one.. And sometimes... When.. when.. You lose everything.. You just need... Someone to talk... to.. I think.. she's reaching out for us.. In her own way.. But," he voice began a whole lot stronger and firmer, "what she did to that dude in the make up back there.. Just wasn't right."

Hiromi nodded in agreement, and looked up at the sky.

. . .

_Reaching out to us, huh..._

* * *

><p><strong>POV change - Kotone<strong>

-:-

The voices were even louder today.

When she arrived home, she laid down on her bed and stared up at the ceiling, listening to the yelling going on inside her.

**You are mine and I am your master.**

_No, Kotone, no! You are free! Fight him! Fight every fiber of his being!_

**The pain will come if you do so. It will be the pain I put you through everyday, but intensified. **

Almost as though wanting to prove it, her pain tripled, but she did not move.

"Yes, my lord."  
>It faded, but did not leave ; the pain.<p>

_No, Kotone.. You must fight! You must fight him.. Then you will be free! Free to laugh, free to love, free to cry._

**I am your master. **

**Do not listen to anyone else. **

**Do not remember. **

**Do not feel. **

The other voice, the softer, kinder one, subsided and Kotone's vision began to darken.

. . .

And the visions returned.

* * *

><p><em>They ran even faster than before, sometimes stumbling over large rocks, but continuing to sprint.<em>

_The girl with the beautiful emerald eyes led the two, the girl on her back and the boy holding her hand._

"_It's not too much farther!" She said. _

_The soldiers were coming, but the boy with the ocean blue eyes still nodded._

_And hoped. _

_. . ._

_The girl with the snow-white hair sobbed softly into brunette strands. _

_The other child didn't mind._

"_How much further? Where exactly are we going?" Akio asked. _

_The brunette panted, "To the river. We're going.. And we'll be there soon! There is a boat I use sometimes. I will lend it to you!" _

_An arrow soared past them and stabbed the ground, causing the brunette to run faster. _

"_Pick up the pace! If they catch us, we will all die" She hissed. _

_This time, water came into their site, and she ran down a sandy slope, almost face-planting into the white grains. _

_Just as she said, there was a small boat, crudely made, but functional. _

_She released Aiko and carefully placed her in the boat. _

_The little girl immediately began to cry. _

_Akio climbed in as well and offered the brunette a hand. _

_Once she was inside, the soldiers were coming at a fast pace. _

"_We are doomed!" Aiko sobbed, but the older girl silenced her._

_She stood up and put a hand out in front of her and chanted a jutsu. _

_Then she pushed her other hand forward and a gust of powerful wind blew the boat a few feet._

"_You two are Akivi, no? Use your water jutsus to propel us! We must escape and my father's men will stop at nothing!"  
>Akio nodded numbly and carefully placed his hands in the water. \<em>

_He mumbled a jutsu under his breath and thrusted his hands in the direction of the beach. _

_The water gushed, and the boat flew forwards, but stopped eventually. _

_Over and over and over again they used their jutsus._

_They still weren't as far as they wished, though. _

_Finally, the brunette stopped and faced the two dark-skinned children. _

_She knelt down and kissed the forehead of Aiko, whispering in her ear, "You will grow to be a powerful, beautiful kunoichi. Don't let your race or age stop you."  
>Not understanding the praise, the girl simply nodded.<em>

_The eldest girl then turned to Akio and kissed him near his lips, causing him to turn as red as blood. _

"_You will grow to be a strong man, as well. Protect your family and .. promise me this."  
>Akio raised a white brow. <em>

"_Promise me.." _

_She took a step backwards._

"_That you'll.. "_

_Another step._

"_Come back.."_

_Another step. A foot dangling over the cold, unsafe, rapid waters._

"_And save _me_, too."_

_Then she was leapt backwards into the water, to Akio's horror. _

"_No!" _

. . . . .

. . . .

. . .

. .

.

_But she was gone._

* * *

><p><em><em>**I hope you enjoyed!**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: I hope you guys like this chapter.. I worked hard on it despite writer's block.. And i'm kinda nervous :C Please give me feedback!**

**I feel like I portrayed some characters incorrectly :C **

**ANYWAYS!**

Thanks to..

_**REVIEWS** - _

spiritgem94 - _Thank you for another wonderful review~! But please tell me.. Would you rather get an in-story thanks, or a pm? _

_Aww.. I knew there was a reason he never texted me :c_

_Thanks ;) I like drama!_

_Lol sasuke can get his important beauty time later :P_

_I love questions! BOMBARD ME WITH THEM! Okay, uhh.. I sound weird :P Lol Kotone and the princess don't even look alike XD_

_I LOVE HIM TOO! let's be best friends's. _

Eternal Cat Moon - _Intense? Oooooh. Thank you very much! And here's my update for you! And also, please give me feedback! I love reviews, pms, and all that jazz! They make me so happy! _

_Also.. Would you prefer a PM or a in-story thank you? THANKS!_

sushiunicorn - _AWWWWWW! thank you! _

_Sasuke and Gaara will get their important rolls later ;) Kotone has a shady past and those two will play a big role in her future!_

_Please send feedback, baby! ;) Lol weird._

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M-my.. disclaimer... w-who? *looks around anxiously*

_My disclaimer is right here. The end._

._.

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**Please enjoy this chapter! Reviews are like hugs for my soul.**

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* * *

><p><strong>POV - Maiko<strong>

-:-

As she strolled home, she couldn't help but let her mind wander to Kotone.

What had happened?

What was that snap sound?

Was everything alright?

Should she find her and ask her?

The tomboy shook her head.

No, no.

That was a bad idea.

. . .

She held her hands behind her back and looked up at the sky as it began to change colors.

_I wonder what made her do that.. I mean, that dude was a jerk, sure, but... _

The green-haired genin shook her head.

_No, no.. Kotone was.. just different.. She wasn't a murderer. She wouldn't have.. killed him.._

She stopped in mid-stride.

_Would she have? _

She tried to move again, but felt as though her legs were frozen.

It almost felt like before when she couldn't stop Kotone..

Back then, it felt like a million strings were restraining her.

Maiko shook her head and kept moving.

_I need to calm down.. I've gotta figure out what she was thinking.. _

_No.. What if she's a murderer? _

_What if she's... just like mom and dad?_

She was suddenly glued to the ground for a second time.

The tears.

"_Oh, Maiko-chan! Don't cry.. Mommy and Daddy will be home soon."_

The memories.

"_Blow out the candle, love."_

The smiles.

"_Ha-ha! No, no! Honey - grab her!"_

They were all coming back now.

Maiko shook her head and covered her ears.

_No. No. No! _

_They're not allowed to come back!_

She felt like ripping out her hair and screaming.

Why? Why? Why? Why? Why?

Why did they do what they did?

She felt hot tears threatening to spill from her eyes.

No.. No. She promised.

"_I won't cry! Never again! I won't ever cry again! I'll be strong for you two!"_

No. No. No! Why was she remembering? Why?

A dark voice, a part of her conscience, spoke loudly.

**Because your friend was going to murder. **

_No.. Not Kotone!_

**MURDER.**

The green-haired girl collapsed.

* * *

><p>Shikamaru was exhausted.<p>

He didn't want to train for the Chunin exams.

He didn't even want to participate, but Asuma-sensei signed their team up anyway.

The boy with the dark hair looked up at the darkening sky.

It was getting late..

Shikamaru passed by a street, throwing a glance at its contents before doing a double take.

His dark eyes widened.

"Maiko?"

The sad green-haired girl was a sad lump on the ground, hands over her ears, and soft sniffles coming from her occasionally.

He loomed over her before nudging her softly with his foot.

Abruptly, Maiko stood and tackled him to the ground, senbon needles threatening to slice into his neck.

Her eyes were red and swollen from tears and she had a crazed look on her face.

"Maiko?" he asked.

Shikamaru must've looked so much unlike himself, with a slightly shocked expression.

The green-haired genin took a deep, shaky breath before standing up and wiping her eyes on her sleeve.

. . .

"I-.. I'm sorry, Shikamaru.. I.. I-.. I've got to go."

Before the genin with the spiky ponytail could run after her, the girl had disappeared from sight.

* * *

><p><strong>POV change - Hiromi<strong>

-:-

As she strolled into her home, she couldn't help but try to stop her constant shaking.

If her parents realized she hung out with a murderer... They'd worry more than necessary.

Kotone wasn't really ... going to kill that genin, was she?

The blonde couldn't help but shiver.

_Maybe.. Something.. Oh.. I don't even know. _

Mrs. Sato poked her head from around the corner and smiled, "Hi, sweetie! Excited?"  
>Her daughter blanched.<p>

"For what?"

The taller blonde giggled, "For the Chunin exams, of course!"

Hiromi nodded absentmindedly, "Yeah.. I'm not really hungry for dinner.. I'm going to my room.. Good night, mom."

Mrs. Sato raised a brow and watched as her identical daughter retreated to her sanctuary.

She shrugged it off.

If Hiromi had something to say, she'd say it eventually.

The blonde stared out her window, completely distracted.

What was Kotone thinking?

What ran through her head?

Why did she try to kill that boy?

Should she tell Hanako-sensei?

No.. She wasn't going to be a goodie-two-shoes.

But.. still.. her friend..

Were they friends?

Were they ever friends?

Hiromi pressed her forehead up against the cold glass of her window.

She sighed.

They probably weren't.

She probably wasn't really good friends with Maiko either.

Just...

. . .

Teammates.

That's it.

Her hot breath fogged up the glass and she closed her ocean blue eyes.

She had so much to learn about her partners.

So much.. But she felt as though even then, she still wouldn't understand.

* * *

><p><strong>POV change - Kotone<strong>

-:-

This time, the visions did not come.

Kotone stayed impassive, not caring.

Or did she want to know?

Did she know everything?

Why did she attack that genin?

Why was she in Konoha?

. . .

. . .

. . .

"My Lord."

There was a deep growl from within the depths of the atmosphere and a voice that seemed neither male nor female replied.

**Yes?**

It was sadistic.

"Who am I, Master? What is my purpose? Why are these visions coming to me?"

This time there was a chuckle, still not confirming the speaker's gender.

**You are mine. **

But what does that mean?

**Your purpose is to serve me. **

But why?

**These visions are nothing of importance. **

But are they her memories?

The constant questions did not appear in Kotone's mind.

Her Master's replies were enough.

She closed her snow-white eyes as she lay on her bed, not safe underneath her covers.

* * *

><p>Kotone opened her eyes.<p>

Streams of light poured into her room and birds chirped ignorantly outside her window.

It was morning.

She stood up and walked robotically to her bathroom before sitting down in front of a plain wooden vanity.

She brushed her hair until it was simply perfect (not a strand out of place in her perfectly straight hairstyle) and then preceded to leave her apartment.

The pale girl slipped her feet into her geta, left her small arrangement of rooms, and locked the door behind her.

She took a moment to breath.

The pain she was constantly feeling was sometimes unbearable.

But she managed.

. . .

Her kimono danced as she turned and walked away.

. . .

She did not have the emotion to protest against the pain.

* * *

><p><strong>POV change - No one<strong>

-:-

For the majority of the few days before the Chunin exams, the three girls trained in silence under the watch of their unusually talkative jounin.

Kotone trained all of her wind style jutsus, sometimes completely shocking and amazing her teammates, despite the fact that she never thanked them for their praise, but simply gave them an analysis of the technique.

Hiromi continued to practice her only three jutsus, one being a healing technique she used on Maiko whenever she cut herself when training, and the other two being ineffective battle techniques, or at least effective techniques that she couldn't comprehend.

The tomboy of the three always practiced with her needles, sometimes descrying a new addition to her technique and sometimes adding new parts to make it more affective.

In all, they practiced as hard as they could.

But even then, when they approached the school, two of the three were nervous.

It was two o' clock.. Extremely close to testing time..

Hiromi gulped.

"Umm.."

Maiko scratched the back of her neck, "Maybe we should.. Go in?"

Kotone began to walk in and her teammates grabbed her shoulders.

The blonde one flailed her arms around nervously, "W-why in such a hurry, Kotone?"  
>The tomboy stepped into her path, "Y-yeah! We should wait for, uhh, another team to walk in with! Right?"<p>

Kotone stared at them blankly.

"According to my analysis, there are already teams inside the premises. Standing outside of our destined area would be a waste of our time and energy."

Hiromi hung her head, "You're so right.. But I'm so nervous.. I ate the lunch my parents made me, but I still have this really bad feeling in the pit of my stomach.."

Maiko cracked her knuckles, "Yeah.. But.. Maybe it won't be all that bad.."

Kotone walked again towards the doors and this time her teammates sent looks at each other before following close behind.

. . . . .

The moment they walked in, they walked into a fight.

Maiko couldn't help but smirk, slithering through the crowd to get closer.

Hiromi covered her mouth with a hand, gasping.

Kotone analyzed the situation.

The blonde girl grabbed the paler girl's large sleeve and tugged nervously.

"Kotone.. What's going on? Are we not allowed in?"

The emotionless girl replied monotonously, "This is not a fight that will cause violence. The two at the front of the crowd are adults pretending to be of our age to test our strength and courage. I propose a student confront them before the test is delayed by our absence."  
>Hiromi gulped, "Why don't you go?"<p>

She herself couldn't go.. She was too weak.  
>Kotone looked at her before noticing Sasuke Uchiha was looking at her as well, with an angry, judging stare.<p>

The pale girl ignored it.

"I shall not go for I have not been ordered to do so. I will standby and wait for orders or until the fight has subsided. I also propose that you find Maiko Arakawa, who might be, at this second, in this fight."  
>The blonde squeaked, getting some curious stares, before slipping into the small crowd, leaving Kotone by herself.<p>

The pale girl looked back at Sasuke to see if she should be expecting conversation, but discovered he and his team had moved up to the front.

**Find your team. **

She immediately walked into the front.

* * *

><p><strong>POV change - No one<strong>

-:-

The green-haired girl was raised in a subtle home with her cousin.

He taught her proper ladylike manners, and she ignored them.

He taught her self-defense and, oh ,did she listen.

So when she was taunted by the two genin in front of the room, she blew a gasket, more excited than ever before to try out some new taijutsu moves.

Maiko punched the one on the right in the face.

She cracked her knuckles the second afterwards, growling at the other one.

"I'm sorry, gentlemen, but I don't freaking play with dolls and I don't have any parents to cry to. So, if you don't mind, I'd like to take this (at this point she cursed..) exam."

The other kicked her and she was knocked back into Hiromi.

"This exam is harder than you think, you brat!" sniffled the one she punched.

The other one wasn't quite as concerned about his friend and crossed his arms, "I know some people who've given up on even attempting to become chunin and I've seen others die here. Are you really ready to be a chunin?"

Maiko spat at him.

"I'm ready to take responsibility, you ugly (cuuuuurrrseeee word.)!"

The one she punched recovered and wiped his nose with his sleeve, "A Chunin is a commander of a squad. If you were to become one, it'd be your responsibility if your team failed or if one of your teammates died!"

He glared at Maiko, who was struggling against Hiromi's hold.

"And to think.. You kids are trying to.." He left his sentence unfinished.

His buddy smirked, "What's wrong with sifting out those who won't pass anyway?"

The green-haired genin broke out of Hiromi's grasp and was about to punch him, but Kotone grabbed her arm.

.

.

.

Maiko stifled a scream.

Her hold.. her hold was unbearable.

How could she squeeze so tight?

It almost felt like her fingers were steel wires.

"K-kotone.. Let go.." She mumbled, but she fell to the ground, only held up by her teammate's hold.

The pale girl looked at the two boys in front of the door, but said nothing to them.

"Team 7. Please approach and speak."

She backed away, tugging Maiko with her, and the team she addressed stared.

How did she know they had come?

Recomposing himself, Sasuke shoved his hands in his pockets and spoke, "That's a sound argument. But I will pass."

He took a few steps forward, unknowing glancing behind him at Team 14.

Maiko was rubbing her arm, which now had Kotone's hand mark on it.

The inflictor of the mark stood close by, staring directly into Sasuke's soul.

Hiromi was tending to her green-haired teammate.

The Uchiha continued, "And undo this field you've created using an illusion technique."

Naruto shockingly flip-flopped his stare from Kotone to Sasuke.

_Telekinesis?_

"I want to go to the third floor" The Uchiha said coolly.

A few murmurs were heard throughout the small crowd of genin.

"Oh?"

"You noticed?"

The two genin at the front of the room seemed surprised.

The handsome boy glanced at Kotone and frowned.

She didn't seem impressed, confused, surprised, or even startled.

She looked dead.

He turned towards Sakura, in an attempt to gather Kotone's attention (why? Because he wanted to see her emotion. Her anger. She couldn't be a perfect girl without emotions. No one was) and asked, "Sakura, how about you? You should've noticed first/"

The pink-haired girl seemed flustered to be called on by her object of interest and stuttered, "W-what?"

Sasuke continued, "Your analysis skills (he glanced at Kotone) and illusionary technique know-how is the best in our squad."

Sakura blinked, "Sasuke-kun... Thank you.."

She recovered from the soft notion quickly, "Of course, I've noticed it already. Because this is the second floor!"

Naruto, confused and feeling left out, nodded, "Yeah!"

In a whirl, a confusion sensation was felt throughout the room and Hiromi staggered.

"It was a genjutsu all along?" She asked, glancing at Kotone.

The pale girl nodded, "After my analysis of the entire building (_How..?)_ I discovered that this in fact, is not the third floor, but the second."

Maiko hissed, attempting to stand up, "Why'd you grab me?"

Kotone looked down at her with her frightening dead eyes, "For you were an obstacle in my orders. Know that I will not hesitate to harm you if you do so again."

The green-haired genin was about to bark back a reply, but was silent due to her shock.

Would her own teammate hurt her? Why?

The boy in the front of the room (the one she brutally punched) smirked, "You're pretty good. But just being able to detect it isn't enough."

Hiromi held in another gasp.

Was there going to be another fight?

He went into a battle formation and was going to kicked Sasuke, who retaliated immediately, before both of their legs were caught.

Hiromi blinked.

_Is that... that guy named .. Oh.. What was his name? Brock? No.. Rock Lee!_

The two genin who attempted to fight stepped back from him.

Sasuke eyed the oddball senior with a surprised, yet angry expression.

_He stopped my kick? What's that chakra in his arm? _

It took a moment before his team stepped forward.

"Hey, you broke the promise" the one with the long hair stated.

His eyes looked like Hinata's.

Hiromi recognized him immediately.

_Neji-san!_

Yes, she knew the strict genin very well.

Every time she visited Hinata, she encountered him training, eating, or even simply walking around.

She had to admit..

Her cheeks were tinted a light pink.

She had developed a small crush on him.

Not large enough for her to swoon at the sight of him, but enough that she got nervous around him.

She snapped out of her daze when Maiko stood up and rubbed her arm.

"Kotone.. We're a te-" She began, but the pale girl turned away.

"The two obstacles are gone. We should move forward."

Hiromi gently put a hand on her shoulder, "Maybe we should talk first."

The blonde was immediately shoved off and she stumbled backwards.

Kotone stared at her lifelessly, "We do not need to discuss anything. I have already explained to you that I will destroy any obstacles in the way of the completion of my orders. There should be nothing else to comprehend."  
>Then she walked off, her teammates staring at each other with worried expressions.<p>

* * *

><p><strong>POV change - Hiromi<strong>

-:-

The blonde couldn't help but be a little scared.

If she really got in her teammate's way, would she be hurt?

Vaguely, she remembered the boy Kotone attacked the other day.

When his friend with the bright red hair appeared, he didn't seem relieved.

He seemed even more frightened.

What if she and Maiko turned out like that?

What if.. Kotone really hurt them?

She watched worriedly as Maiko covered her bruise with her black sleeve, stretching her arms nervously.

"Are you sure you're okay?" She asked.

The little crowd was still lingering.

The test wouldn't start for another twenty minutes or something around those lines.

Maiko nodded, "Don't worry. Kotone .. maybe she was just pulling me out of Team 7's way. Didn't want me to get hurt."

Hiromi pursed her lips.

_I don't think so.. But.. maybe.. _

The green-haired genin shook her head, "Let's just ask her when we catch up to her. Maybe she'll tell us the truth and everything will be ok-"

She was interrupted immediately when suddenly a blur of green pushed her aside and grasped Hiromi's hands.

"Miss Sato! It's so nice to see you today! You're looking positively wonderful!"

The blonde blinked owlishly.

"It's nice to see you today too, Rock Lee-san.."

Before he could reply, he was abruptly smacked upside the head.

"Lee! You can't go around flirting with every girl you see!"

"B-but! Miss Sato knows my heart belongs to Sakura-chan!"

The girl who smacked him was as cute as a button, with two traditional buns on her head and shining dark eyes.

She bowed, pushing Rock Lee aside.

"I'm really sorry about him!"

Hiromi tittered, "T-there's no need to apologize! Rock Lee and I are friends!"

Maiko snorted, "You're friends with the bug-eyed freak?"

The blonde gasped, "Maiko-chan! That's so mean!"

The tomboy shrugged.

Neji, who now appeared with his team, sent Hiromi a respectful nod, "Miss Sato."

Her cheeks turned a light pink, "Hello, Neji-san."

. . .

Maiko sighed, "You guys see our teammate anywhere? Really pale? Wears all white? Doesn't speak like a human being?"

The cute girl (Tenten, they discovered) nodded, "I think I saw her headed towards the testing area.. But it's not time to enter yet and I don't think she'd go in by herself."

Maiko nodded and smacked Hiromi on the back in a friendly manner, "Say good bye to your boyfriend then let's leave. Can't have Kotone going in there by herself."

The blonde blushed a dark red.

"I-! I..." She sighed, "Good bye.."

Then she stumbled after her green-haired teammate.

* * *

><p><strong>POV change - No one <strong>

-:-

Hanako-sensei smiled beautifully.

"Hello, everyone."

Kotone had arrived a lot earlier than planned, but that didn't matter.

The dark-haired beauty took note of how the other two stood a good distance away from the emotionless girl.

"As you all know, I recommended you three for the chunin exams and now you're here. You got the applications and now you're here. Standing right before the door to the exams. Will you turn away?"

Hiromi shook her head.

Maiko smirked.

Kotone did nothing.

Hanako-sensei chuckled, "Good, good. Now.. Promise me this."

. . .

"You must protect each other and fight for each other. These tests will challenge your teamwork, strength, and courage. Do you understand? If you act weak before the others, you will not be able to pass. Promise me you will act like sisters. That's what you all are now that you're going in here together."

Hiromi forced a smile.

Maiko frowned, "How can I be their sister if I can't trust them?"

Kotone stared blankly.

Their sensei giggled again, "Please simply do so. Sometimes your sister may choose a bad path. You must protect her from danger even if she hurts you. Do you understand?"

The three girls nodded.

. . .

"Good. Now go. I know you three feel like you're strangers to each other because it's only been about a month, but you must grow closer to each other. Protect one another and stay in the challenge as long as possible. Farewell, ladies and good luck."

She disappeared.

.

.

.

Maiko took a deep breath, "We should make a pact."

Hiromi nodded, "I-... I think that's a good idea."

The two girls glanced at Kotone.

"I will join this pact."

They smiled.

As they placed their hands atop of another, the three took an oath.

"We will protect!" Maiko smirked.

"We will fight!" Hiromi smiled.

"We will be with one another." Kotone deadpanned.

"Let's do this!"

"Of course!"

"Yes, Arakawa-san, Sato-san."

. . .

And so they opened the doors.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: This feels so rushed and awful! I'm not happy with this chapter, but I hope you guys enjoy it and send me feedback! I think getting a beta will be nice.. But I don't know how to do that or if there is anyone willing..**

**Anyway! I hope you dudes and dudettes and enjoyed!**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Hello everyone! I loved all of the reviews and I almost threw up a rainbow from happiness! Ahem.. Anyways!**

**Thanks to...**

_REVIEWS - _

**Tough chick - ***bows* thank you very much for the review! And I'm glad you thought it was funny! I didn't want this to be an emo, scary story . That'd be weird. Anyway, I love you and I hope you continue to read and review!

**Eternal Cat Moon -** Thanks for the review! And I always thank everyone! I'd feel awful if I didn't. Whoa... Thank you for all of this! Your questions really have helped me and they're the reason I got so far in this chapter! Here, have this chapter as a present. Don't tell the other readers. It's a secret. Either way, I loved the questions, but.. I haven't really gotten that far into the story to answer all of them... . A shame I can't tell you all the answers... You'll find out eventually :) Anyways, I hope you continue to read, review, be alive, breath, go pee, walk, all that jazz :) I love you!

**sushiunicorn - **Awwww :) Thank you! Here's the next chapter! You can roll around in it if you like. How do you like your sushi...? ... Weird question . Anyways! Thank you for the review, and the love. I got the second one in a package in the mail. Thanks.

**spiritgem94 - **Thanks! Now I'll always thank my reviewers in-story! I love making things personal and not robotic. Hence the weird comments all the time.

HE IS WAYYYYY OVER THE TOP! I haven't been keeping up with the manga, but I honestly wish I was. I know he's definitely a drama queen, though. He needs to get that stick out of his butt and skip back into Konoha with a pink T-shirt on that says, "I love you!" Then I'd really love him. A lot. Anyways! Lol! Yes.. He will be ignored sometimes.. just for punishment.. Mwuahahahahaha... *cough* anyways! Kotone?

She isn't supposed to be too scary, but I'm glad she is :) ... I hope that part about the sex change and mixture thing is a compliment.. . But I'm kinda happy you said that! Hahahahaha!

Awww.. I'm glad. But.. here's a secret... she's not human. . . Shhh. It's a secret.

Hiromi DOES get really strong. But for now, she's the cutie with the crush on Neji :) I'm so glad you thought that was cute! I want your opinion on ALL my characters! It'd be my birthday present :) Despite the fact it's in September.. *cough*

Shika is in this chapter :) Let's squeal over him together.

_FAVORITING - _

**Osanai Yume -** Thank you very much for favoriting! I love you!

**Psycho17 - **Thanks! ... I'm already running out of things to say... umm.. Happy Hinata Day.

**Izola - **I WUB YU. CAL ME. ... Haha. That's humorous.

_ALERTS - _

**J e l l o - J u m p e r -** Hahahaha.. That's a funny username :) I like it. Anyways, thanks!

-:-

**If I forgot you, I will give you a toy sword to smack me with. Repeatedly. **

-:-

**DISCLAIMER - **

KNOCK KNOCK!

_*sigh* Who's there?_

I don't own Naruto or anything like that. If I did, I wouldn't be writing fanfiction... And I'd make Gaara have a naked scene each episode... Hehehehehe.. And Sasuke would get his own little section too.. And Shika... And Naruto.. And Sai.. And Kiba.. And Kakashi.. And Iruka..

_W-wait! What about the joke? Knock knock? That thing?_

And Shino.. And Shino's dad.. And Neji.. And Rock Lee..

_WHAT IS GOING ON?_

-:-

**Enjoy this chapter! :) Read, review, and hugs!**

**Reviews are like videogames that have the coolest thing ever on them and everyone buys them. **

**Flames will be picked up, looked at, then put back down.**

* * *

><p><strong>POV - ?<strong>

-:-

Laughter.

Angry, hysterical laughter.

It filled the wet cavern and echoed back to the one who caused it.

"Poor, poor Akivi.."

Pale fingers that are so white they appear a light blue, brush against the surface of the water.

"Poor, poor Lady Arisu.."

Long white hair was so long that it fanned out in the water.

"Poor, poor.."

Cat-like black eyes squint at the water in amusement.

"Princess Amaterasu."

Laughter ensued.

* * *

><p><strong>POV change - Hanako<strong>

-:-

The dark-haired beauty flopped backwards onto the chair, letting out a sigh.

"I'm so glad they all went willingly.. If they hadn't, I would've had to push them all in there."

She pulled her knees to her chest and rested her head there.

"And now I don't have to deal with them for another few days.. How.." She yawned before continuing, "wonderful."

There was a chuckle from across the room and the jounin looked up with an owlish stare.

It soon transformed into a happy expression as she patted the chair beside her, "Ah, Kakashi-kun."

The silver-haired man fell back into the chair laxly, "Hey, Hanako."  
>The young lady stretched her arms and grinned, "How are your students?"<p>

Kakashi closed his eyes, his expression hidden partially by his mask.

"Fine, I suppose.. I've got Naruto Uzumaki and Sasuke Uchiha on my team."

Hanako hummed.

"What an odd team."

"You're one to speak. Don't you have a certain Arakawa?"

. . .

. . .

"She's different than her parents, I think. It's hard to tell with.."

. . .

"The eyes?"

The dark-haired woman sighed, "Yes.. But I suppose 'you get what you get and you don't pitch a fit', neh?"

Kakashi opened his uncovered eye and stared at his friend before closing it again.

"How are _you _doing? Have you been visiting the doctor?"

There was a haughty 'humph' before Hanako replied, "No. I don't need one. Just because I've got some mood swings doesn't mean I have a disorder."

There was an uncomfortable silence until Kakashi replied.

"I'll take you there if you let me."

His friend jounin had a tint of red in her cheeks.

. . .

. . .

. . .

"Okay.."

* * *

><p><strong>POV change - Hiromi<strong>

-:-

The three genin walked into the room in silence.

When they entered, a weight was placed on all of their shoulders.

Hiromi's knees were shaking.

"W-why are.. there so many people? Wh-why ar-are they all glaring at us?"

Maiko shoved her hands in her pockets, "Who cares! If they want to be (curse.) they can be (curse.)."

Hiromi turned red, "M-maiko-chan! Don't say that! It's rude!"

. . .

Kotone's eyes raked over the crowd of people before landing back on her own team.

"We should approach our fellow rookie genin."

"Huh?" Maiko raised a pierced a brow.

Hiromi followed her friend's eyes to a few fellow students and squeaked, "Oh, look! Everyone's here!"

The blonde grabbed her friend's hands and yanked them towards the group.

"Hi, everyone!" She smiled.

Hinata dared a small smile, "H-hi, Hiromi.."

Her teammate, Shino (she talked to him a lot, despite the fact that he never replied) sent her a respectful nod.

Kiba, though, sent her a charming smirk (NO. She did NOT think he was charming. Goodness.).

"Yo! Didn't think you'd make it, Hiromi!"

The blonde crossed her arms and sent him her own beautiful smile, "Don't you worry about me! My team and I trained really hard."

Her dark-haired friend still teased her, closing one eye and crossing his arms behind his head, "Hmm? Do you think you can become a chunin?"

Hiromi scratched the back of her head, "Uhh, I don't know about that.. But I'm here, so I guess I should do my best.."

Maiko barked out a laugh and smacked her hard on the back, "What she means, Kiba-baka, is that we're gonna kick your (curse.) and become the best chunin you've ever seen!"

Hiromi blushed, "Well, I didn't really mean tha-"

Kiba laughed loudly and was about to reply, but Akamaru barked instead.

Maiko glared at the lightly colored dog before scoffing, "I hate dogs."

Her blonde friend gasped, "Why? Akamaru is adorable and he wouldn't hurt a fly!"

Kiba sweat-dropped, "Hiromi.. He's my fighting partner.."

The girl ignored him and shook her tomboy friend softly, "Don't tell me you're a cat person! I love dogs! Oh, Maiko! Why not dogs?"

Maiko frowned, "I just don't like them. I don't like cats either. I'm more of a bird person."  
>. . . . .<p>

The shaking subsided.

. . . . .

"Birds, Maiko?"

The green-haired girl turned and stuck her tongue out at Ino.

"Yeah! I like _birds_! Nothing's wrong with that!"

The annoying blonde doubled over laughing and Hiromi stood with a surprised, owlish expression.

"You-.. Ha-ha! A _bird_ person? Ha-ha-ha!"

Maiko smacked Ino upside the head, "Shut up, (curse.)! I just don't like dogs or cats and I like _birds_! Go back to your Sasuke!"

Ino backed away, rubbing her head, "He's not even here, stupid!"

The green-haired tomboy pointed to the door, "Surprise, (curse.)."

When the light blonde skipped away, Hiromi giggled.

Maiko frowned, "Gunna laugh at my liking to birds, too?"

She shook her head, "No. I just think it's cute that you like them."

The tomboy scoffed then turned to Kotone, "What's _your_ favorite animal?"

The pale girl turned her gaze from the people at the front of the room to her teammate.

"I have no favorite animal."

Hiromi put a finger to her chin, "I guess I understand that.. I guess I really like dogs because I was born in the year of the Dog.. Oh!"

Maiko raised a brow, "Hm?"

The blonde smiled softly, "All the rookie genin are here.. Wow."

Team 14 turned towards the front of the room and surprisingly, there was Team 7.

Hiromi stifled a giggle when she saw Ino latched onto Sasuke.

_I feel kinda sorry for him.. _

His cold eyes connected with Kotone's and the anger in them intensified.

Hiromi frowned.

_Sometimes._

* * *

><p><strong>POV change - Maiko<strong>

-:-

The girl smiled a sideways smile at her two best friends.

Choji continued eating and Shikamaru sent a glance.

"Well? Let's go greet 'em! Gotta make sure Naruto doesn't (curse.) his pants, right?"

Her friend with the spiky ponytail frowned, "Midoriiro no atama."

The tomboy crossed her arms, "What?"

"Don't curse."

"Shut up and let's go."

She grabbed Shikamaru's wrist and pulled him towards Team 7, watching in amusement as Ino assaulted Sasuke.

"Wazzup, noobies?"

Her lazy friend stumbled behind her and blinked lazily at the team in front of him.

"What, are you guys going to take this troublesome exam, too?"

Naruto blinked back at him before smiling and pointing, "Hey, it's the idiot trio."

Maiko reached forward to punch him, but Shikamaru kept her back.

"Stop calling us that. How annoying."

His green-haired friend scoffed, "Not like you're one to talk! Your team has not only Sasuke, but also Sakura! And oh, not to mention, Naruto Uzumaki!"

Before the blonde boy could reply, a soft voice, as sweet as a fairy's, sang, "Hi, everyone!"

Hiromi approached, Kiba and his team close behind him.

Maiko's eye twitched.

He was a little _too_ close.

He smirked and gave off his own greeting, "Yeah! Found you guys! So I see that everyone is here."

The blonde girl with him bowed respectfully to every one of the genin and Hinata Hyuuga whispered out her own greeting.

"Hello.."

Naruto looked her in the eye and Maiko rolled her own eyes when Hinata blushed furiously.

_Stupid shy people. _

Shikamaru shoved his hands in his pockets and eyed Kiba grumpily, "What? So you three made it, too? Geez."

Maiko smacked him upside the head, "Of course we're all here, idiot."

Kiba smirked, "I see, so all nine rookies this year are going to take the exam."

Hiromi giggled, "I hope we all get to do our best."

Akamaru barked in agreement and the blonde smiled softly.

"How far do you think we can get, Sasuke-kun?" Kiba asked with a competitive stare.

The Uchiha turned his gaze to the boy and his dog.

It was as cold as ice, but with a hint of the flame of fight.

"You seem to be confident, Kiba." He replied coolly.

"We trained like hell. We won't lose to you."

Hiromi crossed her arms, "Don't be so sure of yourself. We all trained hard."

Maiko raised a fist and growled, "Shut up, Kiba! Listen to your girlfriend! We all trained like hell, but Team 14 will still kick your (curse.)!"

Kiba's cheeks were tinted a light pink now, but he wasn't the only one.

Hiromi shook her head, her light bangs bouncing lightly.

"Maiko-chan.."

Naruto stepped into the conversation, "Yeah! Putting Sasuke aside, I won't lose to you!"

The green-haired tomboy pretended to gag herself and was swatted by Hiromi.

The shy Hyuuga pressed her forefingers together, stuttering, "I'm sorry, Naruto-kun, Kiba-kun didn't mean it that way.."

Her voice, though, failed her and her obnoxious crush stepped closer, "What?"

The girl turned right red and looked away, causing Kiba to send her a curious look.

Maiko rolled her odd eyes again and turned back towards her friends.

And almost burst out laughing when she saw Choji eyeing Akamaru hungrily.

She stifled her giggles by covering her mouth with her hand, but still watched, tears forming in her eyes when the large genin took a few steps closer to the lightly colored beast.

Before he could reach his target, Shino stepped in his way and Choji eyed him angrily.

"What?"

Maiko glanced at the ground and saw a bug, groaning, "Why was this class filled with weird people?"

Hiromi swatted her gently, "Don't be rude."

Kotone watched the bug for a moment before returning to staring into people's souls.

"Don't step on him" Shino said smoothly, not even flinching at the strangeness of his own words.

Choji raised a brow, "Huh?"

The boy with the sunglasses turned towards the larger and repeated, "I said don't step on him."

. . .

Maiko smirked.

_Looks like a fight is coming on.._

. . .

"You're going to eat it?"

The green-haired girl barked out a laugh and Hiromi covered her mouth to giggle girlishly.

Kotone stared at Choji.

. . .

"Hey, you guys."

The multiple genin turned and stared as a young man, a few years older than them, approached, pushing up his glasses.

"You should quiet down a little."

His silver hair was tied back in a girly ponytail and Maiko made a face at him.

Something... just didn't seem right.

He didn't seem normal.

. . .

Not human.

* * *

><p><strong>POV change - Kotone<strong>

-:-

She didn't know him, but Master did.

"So you're the nine rookies that just graduated from the academy, right?"

The pale girl stared at him emotionlessly.

His black eyes met with hers without a speck of fear.

"You're all goofing off with those kiddy faces. Geez, this isn't a field trip."  
>Kotone continued to stare at him, and he stared back.<p>

. . .

Ino Yamanaka's annoyingly high voice broke the silence, "Who are you to tell us that?"

The silver-haired man turned his gaze away from Kotone and to the light haired girl, "I am Yakushi Kabuto. Look around you..."

The snow-white girl didn't turn.

She already knew all the others were staring at them.

She had already performed an analysis of the entire room.

"The ones behind you are from the Hidden Village of Rain. They have a short temper. Everyone is tense since it's right before the exam. I warned you so that you won't get picked on." Kabuto explained.

Kotone didn't break her soul-razing glaze from the man's black eyes.

. . .

. . .

The silver-haired man sighed, "I guess it can't be helped though, since you are just rookies who don't know much. It makes me remember the old me. "

The pale girl felt her team's eyes on her.

They knew she was filled with information.

"Well-" Maiko began, but she stopped.

Silence engulfed them again until Sakura decided to speak up.

"Kabuto-san, was it?"

"Yes."  
>"Is this your second time taking the exam?"<p>

The man pushed his glasses up, "Well, no. It's my seventh."  
>. . .<p>

"This exam only takes place twice every year and this is my fourth year."

Sakura spoke again, Kotone suddenly finding her voice similar to Ino's, "That means you know a lot about this exam, right?"

The silver-haired genin nodded.

"So you must be an expert on it, Kabuto-san!" Naruto said positively.

Shikamaru grumbled, "But he's failed each time."

The awkward man scratched the back of his head, "Y-yeah.. I guess that's true."

The genin with the spiky dark ponytail groaned, "Is the Chunin Exam that hard? This is getting even more troublesome.."

Maiko smacked him upside the head, "You'll be fine."

Kabuto smiled, "Maybe I should give my naïve underclassmen some advice, then," he slipped his hand into his pocket and pulled out a deck of cards, "with these."

Kotone stared them down.

They were bright orange with green trimming and a random kanji in the middle.

Sakura raised a pink brow, "Cards?"

The man with the glasses nodded, "Really, it's just a card that has information burned on it using my chakra."

He knelt down on the ground and placed his brightly colored cards in front of him.

"For the past four years, I've been collecting information. There's around two hundred cards."

He flipped the top card over to reveal a side of nothing, poking the center with his middle finger.

"It looks blank, but in order to get the information from it.."

He stopped speaking and twirled the card in a repeated circle.

. . .

Maiko coughed, "What the heck are you doing?"

Kabuto glanced at her, seemingly irritated, but answered anyway, "It's made so that you can't see anything without my chakra. Like this."

He formed a hand seal near his face and suddenly, the card was engulfed in smoke.

When it reappeared, Kotone recognized it as a map, with a few holographic bars rising from each country.

Hiromi gasped, "Wow! What is that?"

Kotone blinked, "A map of our lands. According to my analysis, the bars are representing the total number of participants from each country."

The silver-haired man with glasses stared before grinning slightly, "That's right. Tell me, why do you think we do the Chunin Exam together?"

Kotone replied quickly and without breaking eye contact with him, "To deepen our relationships with the other countries. Without these ties there would be more wars and battles and hostility. According to my information, they say the variety of participants will amplify the level of all other participants."

Her fellow genin stared at her blankly.

She was.. a genius?

No. Much too lifeless.

She'd be proud if she was a genius..

What was she?

Sasuke stared curiously, yet angrily into her eyes, "That is what they say?"

Kabuto nodded, "Yes.. The real purpose is to confirm the level of the other ninja and balance out the power..."

. . .

Kotone peered at Maiko and Hiromi.

The tomboy was standing with a bored, impatient expression.

The blonde stared, enchanted, at Kabuto.

She looked back at the silver-haired nerd.

. . .

Everything the man with the glasses said, she already knew.

She was a highly intelligent being.

Kotone didn't need to rehear all of it, but she wasn't going to complai-

"Are there any cards that have specific information on certain ninja?" Sasuke asked, taking a step towards Kabuto.

The man smirked knowingly, "Yes.. Is there someone that interests you?"

The Uchiha narrowed his eyes and Kotone stared at the cards, "Yeah."

Kabuto straightened his deck before replying, "The information of this year's participants aren't perfect, but I've got it."

Kotone stared deeply into his eyes.

What if he had information on her?

What if her Master betrayed her?

Was.. he here?

. . .  
>He smiled creepily, "There's some information on you as well."<p>

Kotone did not look away.

He continued, "Just tell me whatever you know about the person."

Sasuke cleared his throat.

"Gaara from the Hidden Village of Sand."

What if he knew too much?

"Rock Lee from Konoha."

That knowing smirk.. What if it was for her?

"And Kotone Kimiko from Konoha."

Maiko and Hiromi blinked before glancing at each other then there teammate, who stared blankly into nothing.

Kabuto sighed, "Oh well.. That's not fun. You even know their names. This won't even take that much time."

. . .

He sliced his hand across the air.

. . .

Kotone stared at the cards, in the back of her mind imagining them disappearing into thin air and the pathetic man hobbling away with his ridiculous glasses.

The thought (no, the emotion) caused her to feel a malevolent pain in all of her limbs.

She covered her mouth and spat out some blood before calmly looking back at the silver-haired man.

. . .

He had drawn three cards.

. . .

One for Gaara.

. . .

"Here we go."  
>. . .<p>

One for Rock Lee.

. . .

"Show me."

. . .

And one for Kotone.

. . .

The silence was filled with the sound of Choji eating relentlessly at his chips (was there no end to them?).

"First.."

Kotone stiffened, not realizing it.

"Rock Lee."

Kabuto spun the card again until a chart and a picture of a genin appeared on it.

The information about Rock Lee that Kotone already knew was crammed back into her head as the man spoke, but she swallowed up every bit, trying to savor the passing time.

He laid down another card and the pale girl froze once again.

"Next.."

. . .

. . .

"Gaara of the Desert."

He repeated the cycle, but this time, it was ripe, fresh information about the genin she had not yet consumed.

"Mission experience.. eight C-ranks and.. wow! He did a B-rank mission as a genin!"

**More. **

"He is a foreign ninja.. and it's his first time taking the exam so I don't have much info on him."

**MORE!**

"But.. It seems that he has returned from all of his mission unharmed."

Kotone felt her teammate's stares on her back.

She never got injured during missions.

Not even training.

A few people tossed in comments, but Kotone was lost in another world.

She was next. She knew it.

Whatever this man knew didn't matter as long as she kept quiet.

"Who is he..?"

Kotone watched as Kabuto placed another card down and almost fell to the ground when she saw that it was a map and not her own picture.

She now felt Sasuke's glare on her.

. . .

**You got lucky. **

"Yes, my Lord."

No one heard the muttered reply except for one.

**Don't let it happen again. **

A snap occurred in her arm and she only blinked.

. . .

Her arm was broken.

. . .

Again.

. . .

"Yes, my Lord."

* * *

><p><strong>POV change - Maiko<strong>

-:-

This guy had been talking FOREVER.

She didn't even care about all this crap! She just wanted to find a seat and take whatever test they were taking.

Maiko leaned backwards on her heels and eyed the crowd of older genin.

_What a bunch of old coots. _

When she saw him place all his ugly cards back in a perfect little deck, she perked up.

"You finished chattering?"

Shikamaru nudged her with his elbow.

Kabuto poked his glasses back up to the bridge of his nose and smiled, "Well, yes, I am."

Maiko stretched, "Good! I just want to find a seat and take whatever test thing this is so I can kick some butt!"

Hiromi sighed, "Maiko-chan.. Did you not hear? All these places are strong! And.. well.."

The tomboy waved a hand around nonchalantly, "Who cares? We can still kick (curse.), right? Then let's do it!"

The blonde sighed, "But.. All these people .. are the top elites!"

Maiko smirked, "Then let's be better."

Her friend's soul slipped out of her body comically.

"It's ... not that easy.."

She supposed everyone was nervous except for her and Shikamaru.

Even Naruto had hidden his face and his shoulders were shaking.

"Yo, Naruto! Don't tell me you're scared!"

The bright blonde suddenly spun around with a battle cry and pointed towards the ugly crowd of other genin.

"My name is Naruto Uzumaki! And I'm not going to lose to any of you!"

Maiko stared into the crowd with a smirk.

"Huh.. That sounds like you're saying you can beat me, Naruto.."

The blonde crossed his arms behind his head, "Heck yeah!"

The tomboy snarled, "I'll be the first to punch your lights out if there's a free-for-all, Naruto! So when you're lookin' up at me from the hospital bed, I can't promise I won't spit in your face!"

Hiromi swatted her, "Maiko-chan! That isn't kind!"

"Who care-"

The genin stopped when she saw a tuft of red in the crowd.

. . .

It was Gaara.

. . .

And his evil, teal eyes were boring right into Kotone's skull.

. . .

. . .

And she was staring right back.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Yes. I do not curse in my stories. It's just not necessary. And I'm being watched . **

**Please tell me any complaints, compliments, and suggestions. I love feedback and opinions!**

**Also, I'm really sorry this was so short. I was just tired. And I still need to brainstorm and sit in my chair and sip coffee. That's how I get ideas. I drink really sweet coffee in my Snuggie. **

*cough*

**Anyway~! Bye!**


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: So many chapters! So many reviews! So much LOVE! I just wanna toss this out to you all.. It's my love in the form of flowers... Here.**

**Take it. **

**THANKS TO.. **

_REVIEWS - _

. - Thank you very much for the review :) It made me happy. Ah! I'm glad you enjoy sushi. I personally don't like it very much, but I'll like it cuz we're friends. Also, yes, I do have a lot of fun when I write :) It's a passion. An art! ..Haha.. Art.. Explosion.. Haha.. Anyway. Thank you!

Izola - I'm so glad you're happy! Well! No need to squeal no more! Here's the next chapter! Enjoy! And thank you very much for the feedback. It made me jovial!

Tough chick - Shh. Keep guessing. It's an OC. But that's a really good guess! Thank you very much for submitting your comments! I love you and your reviews :)

Eternal Cat Moon - XD I'm glad, I'm glad, I'm glad! You'll find out eventually. It's an OC so I guess you can keep guessing if you'd like.. But you will find out. I'm so happy from the reviews that I'm giving away too much info XD Here's the next chapter for you! On the house. Straight off the keyboard.

indescribable music - Teehee.. You make me blush :) I'm glad you're enjoying all these chapters so far. I hope you continue to read and enjoy them! And here's the next chapter for you to read :) Send me feedback, dog! My people be callin' yo people.

tsuki-shinigami - P-pure genius...? *FAINTS* Th-thank you! I tried to mix their personalities and have an even amount of cute, and cool. I wish I could tell you what happens next, my friend, but I want you to find out for yourself :) I love feedback (especially positive feedback like this!) and I hope you continue to read my story!

_FAVORITINGS - _

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... . . . . . . . ...

| | | | | | | | | | \ )

... That didn't make much sense, did it?

_ALERTS - _

sandluvr1213  - Thanks. I won't do a really weird dot and line thingy cuz that didn't make much sense.. So, uhh, just.. Thanks.

-:-

**If I forgot you, I give you permission to lock me in a room with mudcrabs. *shiver* I hate those things. I don't think they're gross, they just pop outta nowhere in Skyrim..**

-:-

**Please enjoy this chapter of my story! I love all of you!**

**Reviews are like very good chapsticks. They will be placed in my pocket and melt so that when I put them on my lips, I get a little warmth, too. **

**Flames will be put my lips, then accidentally in my teeth, immediately causing me to throw them away. Sorry. **

* * *

><p><strong>POV - <strong> **Hiromi**

-:-

The blonde girl gathered her team into a small huddle with an anxious expression.

"W-what's our strategy? Do we even have a plan?"

Maiko scratched the back of her head with a smirk, "Who knows?"  
>Kotone blinked, her eyes elsewhere in the crowd.<p>

Hiromi sighed, "I have to admit; I'm scared. Look at all of those people."

Her green-haired friend glanced at the crowd, "What about it? Who cares about them? We can still kick some (curse.). Then we'll run away from the whole thing with new vests and smiles all around."

The girl turned and Hiromi almost grabbed her, but Kiba, who rubbed his nose with a smirk, grabbed her attention.

"You won't lose to anyone, huh? You sure talk big, Naruto."

Shikamaru glared lazily, "That idiot. He's made enemies of everybody now."

Naruto grinned smugly before Sakura grabbed him, choking him violently, "What are you saying?"

Hiromi shook her head.

She would add a comment, but..

She gulped.

Sakura looked scary.

When Naruto croaked out a reply, the pink-haired beast waved delicately at the crowd of glaring people.

"H-hi! Sorry, everyone! He's a total idiot.. In fact, he's a retard! He takes medication! Ha-ha-ha!"

Hiromi scrunched her nose.

_That was mean. _

"He's so stupid and spouts nonsense all the time! Please don't take him seriously!"

Immediately, she punched him across the head and growled, "Everybody's glaring at me now, you complete idiot!"

Hiromi took a step forward, "T-take it easy, Sakura-chan! Naruto-kun's just very enthusiastic! He just wants everyone to know he'll be doing his best!"

Sakura glared at her, but it softened, "H-hiromi-chan.. He's being a total idiot! I'm going to beat him until he really is retarded!"

The blonde took another step forward and felt movement around her legs.

She raised a brow mentally, but continued.

"Just calm down.. There's no need to be so mean to Naruto-kun!"

That's when it happened.

A genin jumped off of a desk and threw two kunai towards Kabuto.

. . .

Directly at Hiromi.

The blonde squeaked and dived to the ground, covering her head with her hands, only to listen to the hallowed sound of kunai hitting ground.

She looked up nervously to check if Kabuto had been hurt, but he had slid backwards and there was another genin in front of him.

She squeaked again when the Sound Nin (she saw the headband) attempted to punch the silver-haired man across the face, but sighed in relief when he dodged it.

Maiko tapped her shoulder, "You okay?"

Hiromi nodded and stood up, looking at the Sound Nin.

"Hey! That wasn't very nice!"

The tomboy beside her growled warningly at her stupid words, but the hostile genin stared at the blonde with one eye.

Kabuto smirked at him, but frowned when his glasses shattered.

"Ah.. So it was _that _kind of attack."

Maiko snarled, "What the heck? He didn't even hit you!"

"It must've hit his nose. Ha. That's what happens when you try to act cool" Shikamaru said.

Hiromi noticed her green-haired teammate glare at the lazy boy before returning to glaring at the Sound Nin.

She straightened and took a step forward.

_I'm not going to fear this guy.. No.. I won't! Kiba's here.. Everyone's here.. I've got to fight him.. O-or something... _

She was about to take another step, but in horror, watched Kabuto's eyes widen instead.

. . .

He threw up.

. . .

Hiromi almost squealed, but held in her disgust.

She hated watching people throw up.

She turned her eyes away and met Kiba's.

_I... couldn't... do it. _

Naruto and Sakura ran to Kabuto's sides and Hiromi closed her eyes.

When she looked back, there were three Nin in front of the silver-haired man.

She glared at them before running in front of Kabuto.

"What did you do to him?" She asked confidently.

She saw Kiba's eyes widen in shock at her action.

_Ha! That's right! I'm not a wimp!_

The Sound Nin with wrappings around his face, titled his head and spoke directly through the blonde.

"Hmm. You're not as strong as you look. Didn't you say you took the exam before?"

His companion with spiky hair, smirked, "Write this in your stupid card.. The three genin from the Village Hidden in Sound will defeat you and become chunin."

Hiromi took a step forward, cautiously avoiding Kabuto's throw up.

Her pale teammate (she had forgotten Kotone was still there), walked to her side and grabbed Kabuto's face.

She studied it for a second before turning towards the Sound Nin.

"Obviously, you used sound waves to cause him to throw up, seeing as to how you are Sound Nin. My analysis show that you missed purposely so that the sound waves caused by the armor on your arm will hit Kabuto's face."

The one with the spiky hair took a step forward, looking down at the short girl.

"Who the (curse.) are you?"

Before Kotone could reply, an explosion occurred at the front of the room, gathering everyone's attention.

"Shut up, you punks!"

The voice was deep and masculine.

The multitude of figures were frightening.

The one at the front was even scarier than the others.

Hiromi gulped.

"I apologize for the long wait."

His face had two scars going down it.

He was probably a survivor from one of the wars.. Or something like that.

"I am the examiner in the first test of the Chunin Exams. My name is Morino Ibiki."

The blonde stared at him nervously.

_Are we in trouble..? _

Ibiki pointed a gloved finger in her direction and she squeaked.

"You three Sound Nin!"

The three hostile genin turned towards the fierce man and Hiromi let out a sigh of relief.

"Don't even think about trying anything before the test! Do you want to fail and be sent back home so soon?"

The one in the wrappings spoke back, with a bored, lying tone, "I'm sorry. I got.. carried away. This is my first time."  
>Ibiki smirked, seeing through the lie, but not acting upon it.<p>

"Now is a good time to say this.. You aren't allowed to pick fights unless given such instruction by your examiner. Even then, you aren't allowed to kill each other. Idiots who disobey these rules will be failed immediately."

Hiromi gulped.

_What if I make a mistake? _

_What if I accidentally step out of line? _

_What if they- _

The Sound Nin with abnormally spiky hair smirked, "Huh. This exam seems kind of soft and a little bit too easy."

The blonde resisted the urge to kick him as Ibiki's colleagues chuckled and snickered.

The scarred man did not reply, "We will now begin the first part of the Chunin Exam. Turn in your application (_What if I don't have it? Oh no! Oh n- Oh. There it is._), pick up your number card, and sit where your number tells you. Then we will hand out the papers for the written exam."

. . .

. . .

. . .

Hiromi wanted to faint.

She wanted to somehow knock herself out and wake up as a chunin.

A _written _exam? She was so... so...

. . .

Screwed.

* * *

><p>Her seat was almost directly beside Neji Hyuuga.<p>

She had to hide her smile in fear that one of the surrounding examiners might pull her out of the room and hit her in the face with one of their extremely threatening clipboards.

Hiromi gulped when she heard the slam (not really. It was just a tap) of chalk against a chalkboard.

She broke her gaze from her crush, and stared at the grotesque face of Ibiki Morino.

"Listen up. There are a couple of rules for this first exam. I won't be taking questions, so keep quiet."

Hiromi threw a glance at Neji.

He looked so calm and collected.

_I'm so jealous.._

"First rule, you start out with ten points."

_Ten? That's not very much.. I hope I don't lose them all. _

"The test consists of ten questions that are each worth one point."

_Oh no.. I'm going to do awful.._

"This is a deduction based written exam."

Hiromi hung her head.

_How awful. _

"If get a single problem wrong, your score will be deducted by one. Understood?"

The airhead genin couldn't help but shiver.

She was so nervous she could break out in a cold sweat any second.

She anxiously gripped the eraser she was given.

"Second rule. Your pass-fail decision will depend on each member of your team's score."

Hiromi hit her head gently against the desk in front of her.

_I'm going to fail.. I'm going to fail and disappoint all my friends. _

_I'm going to be kicked out of the academy and someone will beat me up and break all of my appendages and- _

Sakura's voice broke out, slicing through the silence, "W-wait! Our team's total points? What?"

Hiromi sniffed up a stray tear.

_Yes, Sakura-chan.. I'm going to destroy Team fourteen because I didn't study.._

Ibiki harshly barked, "Shut up! There's a reason for everything so just shut up and listen."

The blonde genin nodded.

If anything... She'd do her best.

* * *

><p><strong>POV change - Maiko<strong>

-:-

When the green-haired tomboy was growing up, she was taught that she should always study for a test.

Whether it be for history, or for science, or even math.

She should always study.

Over the years, the rule had gathered dust and so had Maiko's grade.

She practically slammed her head against her desk, praying to whoever was up there to have mercy on her and let the questions be easy.

Maybe.. She could cheat?

"If an examiner finds that you have cheated or done something close to it during the exam, your score will be deducted of two points."

. . . .

. . .

. .

.

All hope was lost.

It was all riding on Kotone and Hiromi.

Maybe if Hiromi drew a pretty design on her test, she'd get bonus points?

Maiko almost yelled out in frustration.

The people beside her looked smart.

_Really _smart.

If she could just find a way to scribble down what they're writing in the quickest of motions...

No.

Impossible.

"Yes. There will be people who will leave here without evening having their tests graded."  
>Maiko gulped.<p>

_I am so... screwed!_

"People who try to cheat without planning will only hurt their chances of becoming chunin."

An examiner near her desk smirked, "We'll check you when you least expect it."

The green-haired genin wanted to toss him out a window.

The ugly guy at the front of the room cleared his throat before continuing, "You're all trying to become chunin. If you really are a ninja, act like the best possible one."

Maiko ran a hand through her choppy, short hair.

_Just be a good ninja, eh? _

_Screw you, Ibaka! I don't even remember how to write a cursive Q! Go screw yourself!_

_Maybe.. I can slip by with a five? Maybe a two? Maybe.. a zero?_

"If anyone in your team gets a zero, you all fail."

. . .

The tomboy groaned internally.

_I think I'll just go die in a corner now. _

"The very last problem will be given forty-five minutes after the test begins."

_Please no! Hand out an, uhh, answer key! Please! _

"You have one hour."  
><em>Too long! Or, wait, no! Too short!<em>

Tick.

Tock.

Tick.

Tock.

"Begin!"

She flipped the paper over.

* * *

><p><strong>POV change - Kotone<strong>

-:-

The pale girl had seen the expression on the surrounding tester's faces.

She had sped through the first problem like a kunai through jelly.

It was all a part of her database.

She knew everything her Master wanted her to know.

Next question.

_The parabola, B, represents a shuriken's maximum throwing distance of the enemy ninja, from a height of seven meters. Figure out the trait of the enemy ninja that can be observed from the ellipse formed by the shuriken and figure out the maximum throwing distance on flat ground. Explain your reasoning. _

Her pencil hit the paper and scribbled away, causing nervous eyes to attempt to avoid her direction.

Her handwriting was almost perfect and she didn't erase a single word before moving on to the next question.

. . .

And the next.

. . .

And the next.

. . .

And the next.

. . .

Kotone looked up from her paper and into nothingness.

. . .

She couldn't speak out loud to contact her Master or else she would be presumed a cheater..

But she had realized the initial test.

She had no thoughts herself, so telepathy was out of the question.

. . .

Kotone looked back down at her few completed problems.

. . .

She would have to cheat eventually.

She was not an all-knowing god.

She was simply..

. . .

She closed her snow-white eyes before reopening them and starting back on her test.

The genin immediately felt eyes on her.

Of course they were cheating off of her.

She had the answers.

And she seemed to be the only one who knew them completely by working the problems out.

That's when she heard it.

The sound of a kunai flying through the air.

A young voice, a male one at that, suddenly yelled, "Wh-what's going on?"

A nasally voice, an examiner, probably, replied, "You screwed up five times. You fail."

Kotone didn't even glance at him.

She had no pity.

When the numbers started being called out, she had finished her test.

And the pale girl knew many had copied her.

Or at least, cheated off of her.

Another genin was dragged out of the room and another threatened by a chunin.

Kotone placed her hands by her sides and stared at the wall.

. . .

Waiting.

. . .

Then she felt it.

The odd sensation of sand wiping towards her.

At first, the grains of sediment tickled her skin and got in her eyes, but she did not react.

In fact, she whispered a name she had read recently.

A name that her Master hated for some reason that she did not know.

"Gaara."

. . .

The sand quickly formed an eye, not even caring that Kotone was watching, unmoving and unaffected by the sand in her eyes.

It looked over her paper quickly and the pale genin could hear the tapping and scratching of pencil against paper a few rows behind her.

. . .

As quickly as it came, it went, and Kotone was left to stare at the wall, impassive to all around her.

* * *

><p><strong>POV change - Maiko<strong>

-:-

She was good at cheating.

Better than anyone else in the academy.

She would always sit by Shikamaru and would practically attach herself to him to see his answers.

But he wasn't here.

And she was hopeless.

The people beside her weren't as smart as she thought.

They ended up being dragged out while screaming and crying.

No dignity left afterwards.

Numbers of seats were being called and Maiko gulped anxiously.

_Please don't.. call number.. fifty.. six!_

"Number fifty-nine. Fail."  
>She almost let out a 'hurrah', but sighed sadly when she realized she had yet to cheat yet.<p>

_I could always.. Use my Kekkai Genkai.._

The tomboy shook her head.

No.

Awful idea.

She might.. do... that thing again.

_But.. I need to pass. _

_But.. I might.. _

_But.. _

_But.. _

_No more buts! I'm going to use it and become a freaking chunin like Dai!_

The girl closed her eyes, focusing chakra in them.

. . .

_Doragon'aizu-jutsu_ [A/N: Dragon Eyes Jutsu.].

. . .

Immediately, everything changed from color, to black, white and red.

It stung her eyes, but it worked.

The answers flashed before her, bloody and messy and somewhat blurry, but they were there.

Her hand shakily grabbed her pencil and scribbled out the answers in such messy writing, it was almost funny and her eyes burned the second she reached the second problem.

She felt a tear (or was it blood?) run down her face, but she continued until her eyes felt as though they were on fire.

. . .

But she did it!

She copied off of some random chick and it was all over.

Closing her eyes, the coolness of her lids enclosed the flames of her eyes and she took a few deep breathes, calming herself and allowing the droplets of blood to slip from her eyes, that were still the magical white and black ripples of water.

. . .

_Calm down.. It didn't happen. You can relax. It's all over, Maiko.._

She reopened her eyes and saw a couple of bloodstains on her paper.

Eh. It'd be fine as long as they could see the answers.

The tomboy tossed her head back and sighed.

Now all she had to do was wait.

* * *

><p><strong>POV change - Hiromi<strong>

-:-

Her ocean blue eyes seemed to gravitated towards his paper.

_No! I won't do that to Neji-senpai!_

They levitated up to his hair, down to his face, then to his paaaappppeee-

_No!_

They averted themselves and stuck onto the wall ahead of her.

_I won't cheat.. I've never cheated before.. But..._

The blonde looked down at her paper with a frown.

She couldn't do this.

_This is hard! And he's- oh no!- giving the final problem! Oh no! Oh no!_

The blonde scribbled down some answers (whether they were wrong or right, she did not know) and folded her hands in her lap, nervously staring at Ibiki Morino.

"It's been forty-five minutes, so I will now give the problem."

Hiromi stared intently at him.

_Please be easy.. Please be easy.. I've probably already failed my teammates!_

"Before I give it, there will be one special rule for this final problem."

The airhead genin gulped.

_I'll be okay.. I'll be okay.. I'll be okay. _

The door creaked open before Ibiki could speak again and Hiromi let out a sigh of relief.

"You're lucky.. Your puppets didn't have to go to waste."

For a second, Hiromi was confused, but turned and saw the same boy that Kotone had... attacked earlier with an examiner.

"Oh well. Just sit down."

The boy (Kankuro?) walked silently to his seat and the blonde genin couldn't help but send him a sympathetic glance.

She wanted to apologize to him again.. But she couldn't! Not right in the middle of a test..

"I will now explain. This is a hopeless rule."

The girl with the braid wanted to smash her forehead against her desk.

So she really was going to fail.

What a disappointment.

To everyone.

Hiromi looked at Ibiki with pleading eyes, but did not say a word.

_If I'm going to fail my team.. I might as well do my best before so, right?_

* * *

><p><strong>POV change - Hanako<strong>

-:-

"I miss my students in the oddest and most ridiculous way.."

"Yeah...Your right.. It sure is boring without them."

Asuma, one of Hanako's fellow jounin, smirked, "We'll get busy again soon enough."

Kakashi raised a brow, "Why?"

The smoking jounin tapped his cigarette before replying.

"This year's first examiner is Morino Ibiki."

Hanako sighed, "Ah. I see. It's going to be a difficult exam.."

Kakashi laxly put his arm up to rest on his chair, "They had to choose the sadist?"

Kurenai, being the newbie, raised a brow, "Sadist?"

Her beautiful best friend in the lovely kimono chuckled, "Ah. I sometimes forget you're still a rookie jounin. Of course you wouldn't know."

The other woman with the crimson eyes frowned, "Okay. So tell me. Who is he?"

Kakashi looked up at her.

"A pro."

"At what?" Kurenai countered.

Asuma blew out a puff a smoke before saying, "Torture and interrogation."

The woman's eyes widened, "Huh?"

Hanako closed her eyes, "I've worked with him before. He doesn't do physical torture, if that's what you're worried about, friend.. He's more interested and skilled at breaking someone down mentally. I'm sure my subordinates are shaking in their skin as we speak."

She took a deep breath, remembering what was in the past, before adding.

"He's ANBU's torture and interrogation leader. Morino Ibiki is good at what he does.."

Kurenai sighed.

Hanako chuckled, covering her amused expression with the sleeve of her kimono.

"Of course, my subordinates will just have to deal with it. I want to see at least one of them as a chunin!"

Asuma tapped his cigarette again, "Give 'em a break, Hanako. They're just kids."

The beautiful young lady smiled.

"I was even younger than them when I entered that exam."

Kakashi hummed in agreement and Kurenai gasped in shock.

"W-! Really?"

"Yes.. I was a child prodigy. I suppose you could say I passed with flying colors."

The crimson-eyed woman leaned back into her seat with a shocked expression.

. . .

Hanako chuckled again, "You obviously don't understand the expectations put on.. well, never mind."  
>. . .<p>

Kakashi glanced her as she closed her eyes and lifted her face skyward.

_So many expectations.._

In her mind, an image flashed across the wasteland of thoughts and words and feelings.

A little girl looking up at her father with wide, innocent dark eyes.

Her hair was pinned up delicately in a bun on top of her head.

She was holding a doll.

The man in front of her reached down and pat her head gently before disappearing.

_So many.._

_On such a young child.._

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Reviews make an author happy! Thank you for reading and I hope you stay tuned for Chapter.. uh.. ten? **


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: Heeheehee :) I love reviews. They make me feel so awesome! And I have , like, 34 of them! Hahahaha! Yay!**

**... I got inspiration from coffee and ice cream. Is that weird? **

**ANYWAYS! **

**Thanks to.. **

_REVIEWS - _

Eternal Cat Moon - GAH.. Idk what i did, but i did all this thanking jazz then deleted it all TTnTT now I'm doing it all again.. BUT! I love thanking people for doing things that I love! So here I go! Thank you!

This chapter contains the end of the first exam, so you can find you :)

Master hates Gaara cuz he's sexy and he knows it.

Tough chick - I'm sorry :c But he's not Orochimaru. He's a male. That's all I can say ;)

WOW! Thank you for the honor! I hope I can keep you interested . I feel so nervous now.

Anyways, thank you for the lovely review.

J e l l o - J u m p e r - Thank you for the AMAZING review :)

Y-you.. love it? Thank you!

Teehee.. You called me lovely :) I feel lovely now that I've been called it. You're lovely, too!

Yes.. I play Skyrim :) I have a fanfic on it as well, but I haven't updated in a while because this story seems so much more popular XD And I hate it when I'm just walkin around and like twenty things attack me and I'm like, "MAHH!" and then a dragon swoops down and I'm like TTnTT you suck.

Anyways, I love you!

. - Of course we're friends! You've reviewed so many times and you've read my chapters.. I just feel so honored.

BWUAHAHAHAAHAHAH! Those are some amazing impressions XD

Thank you :) I tried to make them as different, but nice as possible :) I hope you continue to enjoy my story!

spiritgem94 - Hahahahahaah! Is it weird that I didn't want to update my story cuz you hadn't reviewed yet XD? I was like, "Well.. it's ready, but... No. But... Yes." It was an awkward moment.

Finals DO suck.

A really TIGHT pink shirt. I can see it now.. Death by fangirls.

Hiromi : Hai, hai! She WILL grow and she'll be all kick butt ;)

Maiko : She is hiding something.. It's really sad, too :C ... Why'd I make it sad?

Yes, that DOES make sense and it's EXACTLY what she is. You are a pro, my friend.

Kotone : Yes.. She has no emotions. But I hope, as a reader, you will grow to understand that she displays what little she has in little ways. She obeys orders! No matter what they are, she does.

HANAKO (remember her name, my friend.. remember..) : She got more time :) just cuz you said that. I'm glad you like her behavior :) I was beginning to think ya'll thought she was annoying .

Heehee! He WAS! And he IS! Here, have another chapter to wipe your drool.

spiritgem94 - Hi! Th- *does a double take* whaaaa? ... Whatever. Thank you very much for the positive review!

AHHH! Favorite character time! WHOA! I'm glad you like her :) She's supposed to be that cute :) My favorite character.. is Master. You might like him too once I introduce him.

Maiko's kekkai genkai is confusing and complicated, and it was challenging to write about it, but I'm glad you enjoyed it :) She doesn't know that she looks up to him, but yes, she does.

DX I'm soo sorry to disappoint~! But she'll be cooler later on! I promise!

Aww. Thank you :) I'm so thankful and grateful for these kinds of reviews.. I might cry XD

sandluvr1213 - Here you go. This is some more of the chunin exams :) I hope you continue to read my story!

_FAVORITINGS - _

lilxazndevilx479 - Thank you. I love you.

taygam - Haha.. Your username made me laugh for some reason. Thank you for favoriting!

**-:-**

**I'm so tired and lazy right now. I wouldn't be surprised if I forgot someone. **

**If I forgot you, there will be frowns all around ;) And a fist in my face :C**

**-:-**

**DISCLAIMER - **

_Hi. _

... Hello? It's time for the disclaimer?

_... Meh. _

*sigh* I'll do it. I don't own Naruto or anyth-

_I don't OWN NARUTO .v._

... I need a vacation.

**-:-**

**ENJOY, DARN YOU!**

**-:-**

**Reviews are enjoyed. **

**Flames will be tossed into the fire and danced around ceremoniously. **

* * *

><p><strong>POV - Maiko<strong>

-:-

"First off, you're going to decide whether or not you're going to take the tenth question or not."

The green-haired tomboy raised a pierced brow.

_Wait.. So I don't have to do it?_

"So, uhh, what happens if we don't do it?" She asked.

Ibiki turned towards her and frowned, "Your points will be deducted to zero. In other words, you and your team fail."

Maiko's stomach did a back flip.

_Oh great!_

A multitude of murmurs went throughout the room and the green-haired genin gulped.

_So I have to take it.._

The scarred man at the front continued, "And the other rule is, if you choose to take the question and get it wrong, you will never be allowed to enter the exams again."

Maiko blanched.

"What kind of dumb rule is that? There should be people here who've taken the exam in the past!" Kiba shouted, pointing blatantly at Ibiki.

His lightly colored dog barked in agreement.

. . .

Maiko turned even paler when the examiner burst out into creepy chuckles.

"You were unlucky because this year.. I am the rule. That's why I gave you the choice of quitting. Those who aren't confident can choose not to take it and keep their privileges of coming back next year."

He paused to chuckle again and the green-haired tomboy scooted back in her seat.

. . .

"Let us begin."

* * *

><p><strong>POV change - Hiromi<strong>

-:-

The blonde couldn't have felt so scared.

What would she do if she answered incorrectly?

She could see it now..

Maiko punching her and giving her the wedgie of a lifetime and Kotone giving her the scariest death stare ever until she drops dead.

Yes.. Such an honorable way to die.

"Those who will not be taking this tenth question, raise your hands now. After we get your numbers, you will leave."

Hiromi's finger twitched and she had the urge to toss her hand into the air with tears streaming down her face, the sun making them sparkle as she saved her team's lives..

. . .

_Yeah right. _

_If I don't do it.. Then I'll be disappointing my team.. But if I do take it, I might get it right.._

_..._

_Or wrong. Then I'll be stuck as a genin forever.. _

_And my parents will be ashamed of me.._

_But.. If I leave.. I'll be more prepared for the next year.._

_No. Maiko and Kotone will fail with me, though!_

Her ocean blue eyes flickered to Maiko, who was clenching her fists.

_But.._

A strong, confident voice was thrown into her mind.

It was a smaller piece of her conscience.

**You can do it, Hiromi! Go for it!**

_B-but.. What if I miss it?_

**No buts! You can do it!**

_What if.._

Her thoughts ceased as she gulped and glanced at Neji.

He looked so cool..

The blonde folded her hands in her lap and took a deep breath.

A few numbers were called out and people started shuffling out as if there was a beehive hanging over the area.

A trap...

Hiromi blinked owlishly.

Maybe.. that was it?

It was a trap?

They just wanted her to think she needed to preserve her chance..

Then there wasn't a tenth question.. at all?

The blonde determinedly glared at her test.

That was it.

She looked up with a confident smile, but it transformed immediately into a frown.

Naruto.

His tan hand was raised high in the air and was shaking.

"Naruto.." Hiromi whispered.

_Maybe.. I could.._

Her hand twitched again and her sparkling eyes flickering to her teammates.

_I can try and help.. But.. I don't want them to fail.._

Her ocean blue eyes were filled with pity.

Maiko's hand was shaking violently.

Almost as though she was having a seizure.

_Oh, Maiko._

-:-

_A four-year-old Hiromi Sato was gaily walking beside her mother, grasping her hand._

_Oh how she loved this walk. _

_From her house to the academy, her mother would talk to her about the weather, her lesson, and almost everything._

_Of course._

_She was her mom's best friend and vice versa. _

_The blonde's braid danced behind her as she skipped ahead of her mother towards the academy's double doors._

"_Hey, look, Mommy! We're here! Mommy! Mom-"  
>The girl was shoved to the ground and her eyes widened and filled with tears almost immediately.<em>

"_Sorry! Are you okay?"_

_She looked up and was blinded by the sun._

_Hiromi put a hand to block it and smiled._

"_Oh, I'm fine!"_

_The girl in front of her was her age, and her height._

_Her eyebrows were as black as night, conflicting with her lovely mint green hair. _

_It was long, almost to her knees, and her bangs were perfectly straight._

_Her clothes were all bright blue._

_Mrs. Sato approached with a worried glance at the green-haired girl, "What happened?"_

_The mysterious girl frowned, "I'm sorry. I was so excited I ran into her!"_

_After a thorough explanation and a kiss to the forehead, Mrs. Sato left and the girl smiled brightly at Hiromi, revealing canines like Kiba's. _

_. . ._

"_My name is Maiko Arakawa! What's your name?"_

-:-

Hiromi reopened her eyes.

She remembered their meeting so well..

But... why didn't Maiko..?

_Oh, Maiko.._

What happened to her...

Shouldn't have happened.

* * *

><p><strong>POV change - Hanako<strong>

-:-

"Ibiki completely comprehends human psychology."

Hanako nodded in agreement, "He can drive a person into a corner mentally and practically control his mind."

Asuma smirked, "He can find a person's weakness and bring it up for everyone to see."

The black-haired beauty across from him sighed.

"A shame, really. That he was chosen to be this year's examiner.. I was so looking forward to seeing my team in those vests. We'd all be matching."

Kurenai frowned, deep in thought.

Her silver-haired friend sighed, "I think my subordinates might be able to pull it off."

Asuma smirked, "_Your _team? I think _my _team's got it covered.."

Hanako smiled politely, "Really? You have a fat idiot (Choji's ear twitched. And he turned around anxiously. . . . . He turned back around. He was going crazy.), a lazy bum, and a blonde buffoon. I honestly think you have the smallest chance of success."

The smoking jounin leaned forward, "And you think you've got it good? You've got an Arakawa, a blonde airhead and some emo. Nice combo, Hana-chan."

The beauty turned into a beast faster than Kakashi could blink and growled, punching air (attempting to aim at Asuma) and hissing.

"You IDIOT! I hope you DIE from all that (curse.) SMOKING! My team is MUCH MORE CAPABLE than YOUR TEAM! Kotone, Maiko and Hiromi could kick your (curse.) ANYDAY, you (curse. Curse. Curse. Curse.)!"

The jounin with the messy silver hair grabbed her around the waist and attempted to hold he back while Kurenai stopped her punches.

"Asuma, you know better than to provoke her!" The crimson-eyed woman scolded.

"S-she started it!"

* * *

><p><strong>POV change - Kotone<strong>

-:-

The genin watched lifelessly as Naruto slammed his hand back down onto his desk with a confident array of words.

**Such a fool.**

**Won't get anywhere with that stupid grin.**

Ibiki sent him a glare.

"I'll ask one last time. This choice will impact your entire life. If you want to leave, now is your last chance."

"No way! I won't turn back from my decision! That's my 'Ninja Way'!" Naruto yelled.

His words lifted the spirits of the other test-takers, but Kotone did not feel a single thing.

**What a fool.**

"Good determination. Then.. For the first Exam.. everyone here," Ibiki took a breath.

. . .

. . .

. . .

"PASSES."

Kotone's eyes shifted to Hiromi, whose eyes were swirls of confusion and her head was laid down on her desk.

Then to Maiko, who was done shaking and was now smirking with dog-like canines.

Sakura Haruno (**Ugh.. This one is quite the.. ahem.. whore.**) stood up with an angry, raised brow.

"Hey! What's the meaning of this? What about the next question?"

The examiner let a large smile slip onto his face, "There wasn't one to begin with. Or, I suppose you can call the two-choice question the tenth question."

Sakura's eyes widened, "Huh?"

A young girl's voice from across the room angrily asked, "So those last nine problems were a waste?"

Kotone closed her white eyes.

**I'd hate to be there.. In that room..**

**I'd barely be able to resist the urge to kill everyone..**

Ibiki explained the test slowly and surely.

They tested everyone's information gathering skills (Or for Kotone, her state of genius) and how everyone had to be extremely secretive and ninja-like to retrieve their answers and save their teams.

"But, most of those problems could not be solved by you genin."

**How insulting.**

"So most of you came to the conclusion that you had to cheat. This test assumed that everyone had to cheat. So we snuck in two chunins who knew the answers to be cheated off of."

**You knew them right off the bat.. **

**How... amusing.**

Naruto let out a nervous, fake laugh, "Ha! Of course! It was obvious! It would have been dumb not to notice! Right, Hinata?"

**Ughh. He's beginning to annoy me.**

"Those who cheated like idiots, failed, of course."

The man removed his forehead protector.

"Why? Because information can be more valuable than lives at some times... In missions, battlefields...Information has the worth of a human's life!"

* * *

><p><strong>POV change - Hiromi<strong>

-:-

The blonde slapped a hand over her mouth to stop a scream.

His head.. was completely covered by scars, screw holes, and cut marks.

"How awful" She whispered, not feeling her crush's eyes on her.

_He must've been tortured.._

Ibiki continued speaking, but Hiromi was still shell-shocked.

Was becoming a ninja going to do that to her?

She remembered crying when her father became a chunin because she feared for his life..

Her attention was grabbed when she realized Neji's eyes were on her.

Hiromi squeaked and turned a deep red before turning back towards Ibiki.

"We kicked out those who were lacking in that field. That's what was going on."

The girl was the Sand Village still wasn't satisfied, "But.. I still can't agree to that last problem!"

The scarred examiner put his arms out, "But, the tenth question is the main question of this exam."

Hiromi raised a brow, "Huh? What's that mean?"

Ibiki tucked his hands back into his pockets and began explaining.

"It was a take or not take choice. It was a painful two-choice question. Those who wouldn't take it, failed along with their teammates. If you chose it and could not answer it, you'd lose your chance to take the test again. It was a merciless problem."

The blonde with sparkling blue eyes frowned.

So it _was _a trap.

"How about this.. Suppose you do become a chunin and your mission is to retrieve a secret document. You do not have information on the enemies. Not how many or even how strong. You don't even know if there are traps. So, will you take the mission or not? Just because your life and your teammates' lives are in danger, are you able to avoid dangerous or _scary _missions?"

Hiromi's frown deepened.

Would she have to do that one-day? Kill ... someone?

"The answer is.."

She closed her eyes.

_Yes._

"No. Missions carry heavy risks cannot be avoided and must be taken by someone. The ability to show courage and get through a bad situation.. That's what they're looking for in a chunin."

Hiromi gulped.

Would she have the courage to make those kinds of decisions?

She couldn't even find out what to do when her mom forgot to leave a note when she went to the market..

She couldn't be a chunin..

"Those who cannot bet their fate in a serious situation.."

She could never help her parents when they were in a rush to get out of the house.

She never could decide what to make in their lunch..

"Those who give up when given a chance to come back next year and let their minds sway at the thought of an uncertain future.."

There was that other time when she wouldn't help her mom chop up carrots for dinner because she feared she'd chop off her finger..

"Fools like that who have no determination do not deserve to become chunin."

Hiromi sniffed up a stray tear.

She didn't deserve to become a chunin..

"That is what I believe. You are here because you gave the right answer. You chose to take the last question."

But.. She still wasn't that strong.. She hadn't even cheated!

"You can handle any of the difficulties that will come."

No, no! She couldn't.

"You have passed through the entrance! The first exam ends now!"

Hiromi almost slammed her head against her desk, but simply took a deep breath.

She could do this as long as she was calm and collected..

She was so much closer to becoming a chunin now..

Nothing could catch her off guard..

She was prepared...

. . .

. . .

The window shattered and the blonde turned as pale as the paper in front of her.

"EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!"

She squeezed her eyes shut and bit her lip, covering her head with her hands as glass rained down.

"Everybody, there's no time to be excited.."  
>A voice, masculine, yet feminine, shouted into Hiromi's face.<p>

She peeled an eye open and saw what looked like the next examiner.

The banner behind her kind of said, "Second Examiner, Mitarashi Anko is here".

"I'm the second examiner, Anko Mitarashi! LET'S GO TO THE NEXT EXAM! FOLLOW ME!"

. . .

. . .

Hiromi's heart had practically stopped.

T-this.. was their second examiner?

. . .

She looked kind of crazy.

Ibiki stepped out from behind the banner, with an annoyed expression.

"Grasp the situation."

Anko turned a little red.

Hiromi guessed she arrived a little early.

The purple-haired woman continued anyway.

"Seventy-eight?" She turned to the scarred first examiner, "Ibiki! You let all these teams pass? This test must've been too easy!"

Morino simply smirked, "It seems this year, we've been sent excellent genin."

Anko huffed, "Oh well. I'll be sure to make more than half the teams fail in _my_ exam."

Hiromi hit her head on the desk, for at least the third time that day.

"I-.. I thought it was over" She mumbled.

* * *

><p><strong>POV change - Maiko<strong>

-:-

Oh no.

Right when she thought she was going to have smooth sailing to chunin-hood, _this _chic pops outta nowhere.

Great.

"I'm getting kind of excited... I'll explain the details tomorrow! We'll meet elsewhere tomorrow so ask your jounin leaders where to go to and what time. That's it. Get out of here!"

The green-haired girl had exited the building and immediately ran to Shikamaru and Choji, who were standing off to the side, politely waiting for her.

"Man! That was insane.. I'm so tired it's not even funny" The tomboy groaned.

Her lazy best friend crossed his arms behind his head, "Yeah.. It was such a drag. I'm surprised Naruto passed."

Choji grunted in agreement before returning to his bag of chips (What the-? Were those the same ones from earlier?).

Maiko cracked her knuckles and back, "Ahhhh~! So where we goin' for dinner?"

Shikamaru shrugged, "It's your night to pick. And mine to pay.. Such a dr-"

"Drag, yeah, we know! I know _just _where to go! I've got to say bye to my teammates first! You two wait right there!"

Before either one of them could interject, the tomboy sped off to Hiromi, who was standing idly by.

Shikamaru sighed.

_So troublesome.._

She returned less than two minutes later and punched Choji in a friendly manner on the shoulder.

"Okay! So let's head to Ichiraku's real quick! I still need to get home and sleep for the longest time possible."

Shikamaru closed one eye, "Eh? That place is so much more expensive than that other place.."

Maiko pouted, "I like their ramen! C'mon, Shika! It'll be fun!"

Her pout transformed into a beautiful smile that the lazy boy couldn't help but smile back at.

"Alright.. But get something small, okay?"

"Yeah! Thanks, pal!"

...

...

_So troublesome.._

* * *

><p><strong>POV change - Hiromi<strong>

-:-

The blonde waved farewell to Maiko before turning and beginning her walk home.

"Hey! Hiromi!"

Her long braid danced as she spun around to smile at Kiba.

"Hi, Kiba! Hi, Akamaru!"

The boy smirked, showing off his canines and his dog barked joyfully.

"Man! Was that thing challenging or what!"

"It was.. I was so nervous.. I felt like raising my hand, but I didn't want Maiko-chan and Kotone to fail."

Kiba crossed his arms, "Hey, hey! You wanted to raise your hand? So not cool, Hiromi! You should believe in yourself more."

The blonde turned a light shade of pink before crossing her arms as well, "I-I did! I just didn't want to get it wrong and never get my chance back.. A-and Maiko-chan would've beaten me up.."

Akamaru suddenly injected with a few comments of his own and Kiba nodded in agreement.

"What did he say?"

"That you would've gotten it right even if there was a tenth question."

"A-ah! Thank you very much, Akamaru.. But.. I'm not really that smart.. In the end, I couldn't even cheat off of.."

"Hm?"

The girl's face was a bright tomato red as she mumbled the name of her crush, "N-neji."

Kiba barked out an array of beautiful (n-not really! She didn't think that at all!) laughter.

"Off of _Neji_? Ha-ha-ha-ha! That's priceless!"

Hiromi smacked him gently on the arm, "I-I didn't want him to know! I would've lost every ounce of pride if he discovered I cheated off of him!"

Kiba scratched his nose with a grin, "So? How'd you cheat?"  
>. . .<p>

. . .

"I-I didn't."

"HUH? How'd you get all those questions then?"

"I didn't! I made them up!"

. . .

The boy went into another round of laughter as Hiromi turned even redder.

Akamaru seemed to be laughing as well.

"Yeah, yeah, laugh it up!" She grumbled.

Kiba ruffled her hair as his laughter ceased, "Ha-ha! Chill, Hiromi! I'm sure that guy back there won't come hobbling out here just to tell you that you got a few wrong."

The girl with the braid sighed and hung her head, "But still.. I feel like I don't deserve to be this far."

The brunette frowned as she continued.

"I-I mean.. I'm not courageous like Naruto.. Or confidant like Maiko.. Or smart like Kotone and Shikamaru.. Or cool like Sasuke.. Or strong l-like you, Kiba."

The boy turned a light shade of red before coughing into a fist.

"We-well.. I think you could be if you tried."

Ocean blue eyes blinked.

"Huh? Really?"

"Well.. what I meant to say was.."

Kiba broke out in a wide, friendly grin.

"You're already all of those things!"

Hiromi's blush returned.

"Minus the as cool as Sasuke part."

She hit him playfully upside the head before grinning at him.

"Thank you, Kiba.. You're pretty cool, too, you know!"

"Ha! Always have been."

"Don't get a big head!" Hiromi pouted.

The conversation continued throughout the entire walk (when had they started walking..?) until the blonde wished him a good night and trotted down her street, unaware of the happy boy that threw a cheerful fist into the air as she disappeared.

* * *

><p><strong>POV change - Kotone<strong>

-:-

As the seventy-eight students shuffled out of the academy, the pale girl had slithered ahead of everyone else and was already on her way home.

Or at least, her apartment.

That place where she slept.

Home was a place where there was love and hope and food.

None of those things subsided in Kotone's home.

. . .

She went down a couple of streets she didn't usually go down because of the odd sensation that she was being followed.

She eventually stopped at a small antique shop to throw off her pursuer(s?) and examined some of the merchandise.

"Welcome!" sang the old man behind the counter.

Kotone guessed he didn't get customers very often because he seemed a bit flustered at her sudden appearance.

She stalked throughout the store, looking uninterested in all of the items until her snow-white eyes laid upon a sword.

It wasn't very unique.

It was a katana, with a black hilt and a sheath of the same bland color, but with a flowery (or maybe it was an intricate dragon?) pattern etched into it.

"A-are you interested in it?" the old owner coughed.

Kotone stared at it.

"No."

The man frowned before hobbling back to his spot behind the counter and watching the pallid girl look intently at the katana.

. . .

She had seen it before.

But where?

. . .

It looked so familiar that Kotone's head began throbbing.

"Are you sure you're not interested?" The old man asked again.

This time, her voice was raised, "No."

He stumbled back a bit and hid behind his counter as the colorless girl walked out of the shop and back into the streets, still aware of her pursuer.

. . .

. . .

Kotone arrived at her apartment a little quicker than planned and took her time as she opened her door, closed it, and took off her loud pair of geta.

When her 'chores' were done, she walked into her bedroom and gently fell back upon it.

It squeaked under her weight, but remained silent as she laid there, eyes wide open and staring blankly at the ceiling.

. . .

Her stalker's presence became stronger than ever and Kotone opened her window, slipping out, knowing she could catch him or her if she ran.

. . .

"Reveal yourself. I have been completely aware of your pursuit since we left the academy."  
>. . .<p>

A figure stalked out from behind an annoyingly tall chimney and crossed its arms.

. . .

"Is there a reason you wanted to follow me here? To my apartment?"

The fleeting light landed on the figure, revealing Sasuke Uchiha.

His expression explained his emotions.

He was disappointed, angry, and shocked.

"I want to fight you."

His words came out angry instead of disappointed.

Kotone stared at him impassively before turning around and walking back towards her window, her bare feet making distinct sounds against the tile of the roof.

"No."

"Why not?"

. . .

She looked up to the sky, the gentle breeze causing her white hair to fly around her face.

"There isn't enough."

Sasuke looked even angrier for a moment before taking a step forward, his jaw tight.

"Enough of what?"

. . .

"Wind."  
>. . .<p>

And with that, she disappeared back into her apartment and the Uchiha leapt away from rooftop to rooftop.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Enjoyed?**


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: Hello! Sorry it took me so long to update. A lot of bad things have happened this whole month including..**

**1) My friend died. **

**2) My boyfriend broke up with me.**

**3) We ran out of creamer. **

**Those are just a few of the bad things, but I'm glad I finally updated :) I hope you continue to read and review and enjoy my story!**

**Thanks to..**

_REVIEWS - _

Eternal Cat Moon - Yes. Yes he is. I thought maybe it was a little OOC, but I hope no one noticed ._.

You'll find out eventually :P It's really kinda confusing, but hopefully you may find out.

X) Hehehe. I'm glad you love it. Here's another update! Thank you so much for the review! I hope you continue to read my story :)

indescribable music - Thank you very much! I hope you continue to enjoy my story :) Please continue to send your opinion!

kaefa - Gaara didn't stalk her. He just went his own way. She did kinda leave the Academy early, so he didn't sneak out to follow her.

Gaara's too cool to be a stalker. And he's just hanging around somewhere in this chapter.  
>Thank you for the review and I hope you keep reading :)<p>

sandluvr1213 - Hehehehe :) I'm glad you think it's awesome.

Here's a little chunk of the Forest of Death :P Hope you enjoy 3

MaoIsSleepy - I HATE IT WHEN THAT HAPPENS! Like, my favorite story and I'm like, "I hope they've updated!" and I go to see the chapter number and I'm like, "FUUUUUUUUUUUUU-"!

I added a little bit more Kotone this chapter, but I didn't reveal much about her past. I'm getting a little too carried away when it comes to that, but you will eventually learn so much about her you have a puzzle on your hands ;)

Oh! Thank you! She is pretty interesting i suppose.. :) Thank you very much! I hope you continue to like my story!

spiritgem94 - No problem :) I just hope I can update fast enough ._.;

Oh geez X) Don't give me any more ideas! I just might give him a shirtless scene in here.. Hehehehehe..

Hiromi: Yes.. Yes, I know. She's going to transform from an awkward adorable young girl to a beautiful young lady.

Maiko: Really? I have yet to use that in life at all ._.; I guess that's cuz I just don't pay enough attention.

Kotone says: T_T ...

Hanako: She wasn't in this chapter.. Sniff..

She IS pretty young and I tried to give her that 'Edward Elric' short (haha. short) temper.

Hehehe X) He isn't all that bad. He honestly reminds me of Ghirahim.

Y-yeah, Sasuke! FLASH THEM! Maybe then I'll give you more time in the story..

Sasuke: ... Really?

PSSSH! No.

Yeah.. She was pretty happy.. But that THING happened and suddenly she changed.

They're so cute 3

And no, he doesn't know. But he will .

HAhahaha! He IS a stalker :) I hope that isn't too OOC.

Hope you enjoy this chapter :)

_ALERTS -_

c00kiez - NICE username. All of you guys have such cool names! I'm beginning to regret mine..

NaokiKo609 - Thank you. OMG I LOVE YOU. . I mean, uhh.. Bye.

Woopa - Heehehehehehe.. Woopa. THANK YOU!

_FAVORITINGS - _

Fairytale-GhostPrincess - ._.; Ghost princess.. Spooky. I mean, uhh, thank you!

darknessqueen101 - Thank you very much :)

kakashisnumber1fangirl - I love your username. I think I might have to fight you for that title.. I love Kakashi as well.

-:-

**If I forgot you, PM me. I'll hug you and everything will be alright.**

-:-

**Despite my February being SUCKY, I hope you guys enjoy my update :)**

-:-

**Reviews will be smiled upon.**

**Flames will be frowned upon.**

* * *

><p><strong>POV - Maiko<strong>

-:-

She woke up in a cold sweat, entangled in her sheets with tears spilling out of her eyes.

. . .

A nightmare.

The green-haired tomboy ran a shaky hand through her hair.

It wasn't the average nightmare.

No monsters.

No bed bugs.

No crazy people with saws.

But.. a family.

A happy, smiling family, with two boys, two girls and a happy mom and dad.

Something about watching them from whatever point of view Maiko was in, made her feel nauseous.

When the younger of the two girls met her eyes, she would throw up from the sight of it.

The family just made her sick.

It was like being spun around and around while staring at a picture of an upside down person spinning around and around.

It was confusing, and it made Maiko's brain throb.

Who were they?

What made them so disgusting?

A timid knock on her door caused her to jolt, stuttering out a lame, "C-come in."

Her handsome cousin strolled into the room with ease and worry.

. . .

"Are.. you feeling okay?" He asked, sitting down gently on her bed.

The tomboy frowned.

. . .

"You were screaming.. I thought you might've been having a nightmare."  
>. . .<p>

So considerate, her cousin.

Always caring for her no matter what.

"D-... Dai" She whispered, her voice too shaky to speak at a normal volume.

"Yes?"

. . .

"Tell me.. All about how we're related."  
>. . .<p>

The brunette stared at Maiko before smiling.

"Gladly. I'm your cousin. Your mother's brother had wife, my mother, and she had a baby, me."

. . .

"Wh-.. What was your mom like?"

Dai smiled even wider, "Well, she had brown eyes, just like mine. And brown hair. She was one of the most beautiful women I've ever met."

Maiko pulled her knees to her chest, frowning.

"I don't remember me having an uncle."

"He's not really that exciting, my father. He's just the average jounin with short green hair and boring blue eyes."

The tomboy scrunched her nose up.

. . .

She took a few deep breaths.

. . .

"What.. were _my_ parents like?"

. . .

. . .

Dai stood up, tossing a pitiful glance glazed with fake happiness at his cousin, "Go to bed, Maiko. You'll be too tired to carry yourself tomorrow for the Second Exam if you don't get a good night's rest."

The green-haired genin frowned and reached out for him, but he shut the door behind him, leaving her to fall into an uneasy and restless sleep.

* * *

><p><strong>POV change - Hiromi<strong>

-:-

The girl brushed her hair rhythmically while staring out her window at the melancholic first hours of the morning.

Fog was rolling in (soon to disappear under the bright Konoha sun) and her room was colder than ever before.

. . .

Her hair was a lot longer than anyone else's.

It almost touched the ground if not braided.

. . .

A yawn escaped her lips and she set the brush down to begin braiding.

It would take a while, just like every other morning, but that was the reason why she woke up so early.

Today was the Second Exam..

She had to look decent.

And courageous.

And brave.

And strong.

But what could a braid do to make her seem like all of those things?

It couldn't.

Hiromi sighed, her breath marking her window sadly.

. . .

There was so much more she had to learn about being confident.

She had such a low self-esteem..

She hung her hung, her blonde locks curtaining her childish face.

"I don't deserve to become a chunin.."  
>. . .<p>

"Hiromi-chan! Can you braid my hair? OH! By the way, breakfast is ready!"

The blonde genin leapt in her skin and rushed to the door to grin at her mother.

"H-hi, Mom! I just need to get dressed, then I'll eat and braid your hair."

The older woman smiled widely, her blue eyes closing happily, "Okay! Your father made something nice to get you prepared for your Second Exam!"

Hiromi nodded numbly as her mother disappeared.

"Second Exam, huh.."

. . .

The girl changed soundlessly out of her pajamas and into a light green outfit with her bright red forehead protector wrapped around her thin stomach.

Once finished with her braid, that too was wrapped gently with a contrasting red ribbon.

Hiromi eyed herself in the mirror and practiced talking (she didn't want to say something stupid in the future or look stupid) before walking out of her room and down the stairs to the kitchen.

Just like her mother said, there was a delicious meal set out for her by her father when she arrived at the table.

"Oh! Dad! Did you really make all this?" Hiromi asked, suspiciously taking a whiff of a nearby plate.

Her reticent father grunted and the blonde took a step, timidly grabbing a fork, stabbing some eggs, and placing them on her tongue.

The delicacy melted in her mouth and there was evidence of a cheesy taste.

"Ahhh~! Dad, this is delicious!"

Mr. Sato nodded and continued to eat his own meal, a light blush on his cheeks.

. . .

The family ate in silence until Mrs. Sato arrived and commanded that her daughter braid her hair.

"All done, Mom! I've got to go.. Hanako-sensei left that note..thing with the address and I'm going to be late!"

Hiromi stretched momentarily before waving farewell to her parents, grabbing the oddly shaped note she received in the last hours of the night, and running out the door, still stomping her shoes on.

* * *

><p><strong>POV change - Kotone <strong>

-:-

Her eyes opened abruptly when the first bird landed on her windowsill and pecked restlessly on the glass.

The genin sat up and stared at the bird as it stared back with beady, black eyes, almost as though expecting something in return for being her alarm clock.

Kotone sauntered to her door, impassive to the bird's disappearance.

She slipped on her geta, that clicked simultaneously as she did so, and opened her door.

The fresh air absorbed her immediately and the happy voices of other neighbors greeted her.

"_I want to fight you."_

The girl started her trek, looking down at her note that she received from Hanako-sensei continuously.

**That boy was a fool to challenge you. **

. . .

_He's such a confused person.. _

Kotone froze on the spot.

That voice again.

**Shut up. Go back. You're not allowed here.**

And thus, the battle began again, leaving Kotone in the middle, to stagger towards her destination.

When she arrived, the voices had stopped.

The bolder, louder, more evil one won again.

* * *

><p>. . .<p>

The Second Exam was scheduled in a large, fenced in area, with trees almost overflowing the metal fences.

Each entrance gate was bared together, chains wrapped around them mercilessly and tirelessly.

A rusted sign hung sideways, warning 'Forbidden Area.'

The forest was fat, alive, and haunting, with roots zigzagging from the earth to the surface.

There was a small, delicate, normal-looking booth with three examiners close-by, almost adding to the intimidating, odd environment with their twisted, smug smirks.

The large group of genin stood as far as possible from the fences, as though the roots would come alive and strangle them like bony fingers.

"This," Anko stated hastily, "is where the Second Exam will take place. The forty-fourth training area.."

Kotone stared blankly into the holes in the fence.

**How bland and stereotypical. **

"A.K.A.. The Forest of Death."

The pale genin's teammate, Hiromi, shivered, "F-forest of Death..?"

**[KONOHAMARU's INTERVIEW THING IS BEING _SKIPPED_]**

Anko smirked, "We will now begin the Second Exam."

Maiko crossed her arms and tilted her chin upwards.

"This isn't so creepy."

The Second Exam leader frowned, "You all will be able to experience first-hand why this place is called the Forest of Death."  
>Kotone kept her poker face on.<p>

Nothing was going to scare her.

Nothing ever did.

And she wouldn't let this woman scare her at all.

She watched lifelessly as Naruto pranced about, cheering cockily, "I'm not scared at all!"

**Such an idiot, that boy. No wonder his demon is so.. silent. **

When a kunai flew past his face, the pale genin heard her Master sing musical laughter.

Blood dripped from his cheek and Anko let it slide onto her finger.

"Kids like you die the fastest."

Naruto looked at her fearfully as she spoke at a frightening whisper.

"Right after they spill out all that crimson blood that I love so much all over."

Kotone stared blankly and a cold breeze hit her face as a grass nin appeared behind her, uncomfortably close, her earlier used kunai wrapped cautiously in the man (or woman's..?) tongue.

Anko grinned a fake smile.

"Here. Your weapon."

The voice seemed more feminine than masculine, but Kotone couldn't confirm it.

Anko's grin faded.

"Thanks. But if you keep lurking behind me like that, you might get killed."

The nin's voice slithered out of his or her mouth seductively, "Well.. I simply get very antsy at the sight of blood. Also, you cut a strand of my hair, so I couldn't help but feel a bit... excited."

Hiromi grabbed Kotone's sleeve, "W-what.. is that person..?"

Maiko crossed her arms, "A lady monster?"

"Sorry," Anko waved before smirking, "There sure are a lot of hot-headed kids here today.. This is going to be quite fun.."

Hiromi squeaked.

"Before we begin the Second Exam, I'm going to hand these out."

Out of her jacket, the woman pulled a fat stack of papers.

Maiko frowned, "What the (curse.) are those?"

Kotone replied, "Consent forms."

Naruto, being the blonde he was, took a step forward, "Why?"

Anko grinned widely, "From here on out, you all will be dying, so we need your consent before we continue! Of course I'd be held responsible! Ha-ha!"

Hiromi pouted, "She's treating our lives like games.."

Anko gave the stack to Naruto before continuing, "So now, I'll explain the Second Exam."

Kotone took a form and passed it on, baring holes in Gaara's teal eyes with her intense, lifeless stare.

So he _had _made it.

Her eyes snapped back to Anko.

At least he didn't follow her home.

"In all seriousness, you all will be going through a survival match."

The pale genin looked at the map Anko had suddenly unrolled.

"I'll go ahead and explain the area's features as well."

Her long white hair blew gently in the breeze as she closed her eyes and swallowed the information.

She needed her infinite knowledge for this.

It'd be impossible to go any further (unless she wanted to ask Master for help) without it.

Circular.

Forty-four gates.

River, forest.

Tower.

The map was rolled back up into a tight roll causing Kotone to snap her eyes open.

"This is going to be a fight, where anything goes, for _these_."

The purple-haired woman pulled out two scrolls, one white and one black.

"Scrolls?" Sasuke Uchiha inquired, raising a brow.

The examiner held them out in front of her, "Yeah. A scroll of heaven, and a scroll of earth.

Kotone stiffened.

**Heaven.. Does such a place exist?**

The girl closed her eyes.

His voice was so close.. Was he there?

"About twenty-six teams passed the first exam, so half of them will receive a scroll of heaven, and the other half, a scroll of earth. All you really have to do is fight for these."

Maiko frowned, "So what do we need to do to pass?"

Anko smirked, "Bring both scrolls to the tower with your teammates."

Hiromi looked down, "So that means.. At least thirteen other teams will fail."

The examiner nodded, "But it all has to happen during the time limit. This exam has a limit of five days. Or a hundred and twenty hours if you want to get technical."

Maiko pulled on her hair, "Five days? What bout.."

Choji finished for her, dramatically tossing his arms in front of him, "FOOD?"

The purple-haired woman at the front growled, "Find it. The forest is filled with junk; you'll find something."

Kotone spoke up, causing Hiromi to squeak, "Judging by this environment, I predict a seventy-six percent chance there are poisonous bugs, plants, and man-eating creatures in this forest, as well."

Her green-haired teammate raked her fingers through her hair, "(Curse.), we're screwed, huh?"

A few more comments were passed around (The first one by Neji causing Hiromi to turn red) until Anko placed her hands on her hips and spoke.

"Well, people _are_ going to get hurt during the process of getting some scrolls and some wimps who can't handle it will probably emerge as well."

Shikamaru Nara raised his hand, "What happens if we want to quit?"

The examiner frowned, "Rules say you can't quit during the exam. You _WILL _spend five days in this forest."

The lazy genin crossed his arms, "Just what I thought.. How troublesome."

Anko continued, "There are, though, some things that will make you fail. First, the obvious, a team will fail if they cannot bring all the scrolls to the tower on time, with all three members of the team present. Second, a team who loses a teammate, will fail.  
>Oh, and you can't look inside your scrolls until you reach the tower."<p>

Naruto pursed his lips, "What happens when you do look at it?"

The woman winked, "A surprise."

She continued, and Kotone stared at her, unmoving.

"_IF _you become a chunin, you might be handling top secret documents. This is to test your reliability. That's about it for the explanation. If you go to the booth over there," Anko pointed, "you can trade your consent forms for a scroll, and after picking the number of your gate, everyone will begin. One more thing before you go..."

She glared into the crowd of children, teenagers, and adults.

"Don't die."

* * *

><p><strong>POV change - Maiko<strong>

-:-

Her heart threatened to beat out of her chest.

Yes, it was hard to admit, but she was scared.

Terrified.

She was about to put her _life_ on the line, and for what?

A title and a fancy jacket. That's all.

Maiko closed her eyes and sighed.

"I wonder how Dai is doing.." She whispered.

.

.

.

"Oi."

The green-haired tomboy frowned and looked up.

There stood Shikamaru, his head blocking the sun from her face politely.

His hand was outreached to her.

"Get up."  
>Maiko smirked, "I'm sorry, sir. I have to return to my team."<p>

She stood, abnormally close to her lazy friend, and whispered into his ear.

"We're enemies now, Shika. If I meet you in there.."

By _there_, she could only mean the looming forest beside them.

Shikamaru frowned, "Would you kill us?"

Maiko backed away from him and turned around, "I don't know. Maybe."

The brunette genin sighed, "How troublesome.."

His friend suddenly turned and smiled, "Good luck, bud. Don't get in our way or else!"

Her laughter was music a she spun back around and started walking away.

Shikamaru smirked.

_Such a troublesome girl.._

* * *

><p><strong>POV change - Hiromi<strong>

-:-

Her ocean blue eyes were barely peeking out, blanketed by her black lashes.

She was shaking.

_Mom.._

_Dad... _

_What should I do? _

_I don't want to die, but.. _

Hiromi looked up into the bright blue sky, oblivious to the pain going on underneath it.

_I don't want to lose.._

The consent form in her hands was beginning to crinkle and wrinkle under her frightened, iron grip.

"Hiromi Sato."

The cold voice of her teammate was obvious, causing the blonde to look up.

"Hi, Kotone."

. . .

"Judging by our surroundings, predicament, and your behavior, I presume you are frightened."

Hiromi giggled bitterly.

"Yeah, I guess so."

The pale genin awkwardly fell to the ground, sitting in front of her teammate.

. . .

"According to my studies and analysis of the other opponents, I calculate a fifty-two percent chance that it is not frowned upon to be scared."

Hiromi frowned.

_Was that..._

The blonde smiled, "Thank you, Kotone."

_Her way of comforting me..?_

The shorter genin stood, "I presume we need to go into the booth now, after finding Arakawa-san."

Hiromi stood as well, grinning, "Of course. I think I see her right there."

The consent form was signed neatly with her beautiful name and she grabbed it gently.

Kotone's stiff, robotic writing adorned her own consent form that laid airily in her white hand.

The girl with the braid took a deep breath.

_Mom._

_Dad._

She opened her sparkling eyes.

_I will not lose._

* * *

><p><strong>POV change - No one<strong>

-:-

When they arrived in the poorly built booth (it looked so much more functional when compared to the Forest of Death surrounding them), they all turned in their forms, the palest of them all turning hers in last.

The examiner there took all three and gave them in return a scroll of earth.

Kotone stared at it, no one willing to take it.

Hiromi spoke up, "U-uh.. Maybe I should take it? I am the weakest so no one would suspect me."

Maiko crossed her arms, "Anyone would realize you have it. You'd be nervous. And I'd be a little anxious, too."

The girls glanced at Kotone.

The blonde coughed, "Maybe you should take it, Kotone."

The insipid girl reached out and grabbed it, carefully hiding it in the folds of her clothes.

Maiko snickered.

No one was going to reach into a woman's _kimono_ for a scroll!

Kotone was smart like that.

When they exited the booth, Anko's voice rang out.

"If you've got your scroll, follow the shinobi in charge to your assigned gate! We start in thirty minutes!"

.

.

.

Gate number two.

The man standing in front of the small entrance was glaring into space, leaving the three genin to speak.

Maiko threw a fist into the air, confidently whooping, "Heck yeah! Let's beat some idiots into oblivion!"

Hiromi sighed, "Maiko-chan.. Please don't draw too much attention to us."

Kotone nodded, "I estimate a thirty-six percent chance that we have already been targeted."

The blonde girl with the braid groaned, "Oh no.. We're done for."

Maiko smacked her on the back playfully, "Shut up, Hiromi-chan! We can kick some major (curse.) if we stick together and do our best!"  
>They were all silenced when the shinobi in front of them unlocked the gate, then turned back around to glare again.<p>

Kotone got into a fighting position, "I gauge a ninety-nine point nine percent chance that we are about to begin."

Hiromi gulped.

Maiko smirked.

"We will now begin the Second Exam for the Chunin Selection Exam! BEGIN!"

Suddenly the man blocking their way was gone and the gate swung open.

Kotone spoke first, no one else daring to move, "Follow me."

And they did.

Rushing into the forest, the scent of death surrounded them.

Hiromi could hardly breath.

The air was so heavy, as though burdened and cursed by the ones that had been murdered here.

The roots of the gigantic trees seemed to reach up towards their feet, causing Kotone to leap up into the fat branches.

"We first need to place traps, for food," Kotone began, "and for scrolls. Then we must find shelter in case of the situation where you two require sleep."  
>Maiko frowned, "What about you?"<p>

Hiromi nodded, "Yeah. You can sleep, too."

Kotone replied eerily, "I do not sleep. Nor do I need to."

They continued to leap from tree to tree in silence until Kotone suddenly stopped.

"I sense a presence coming towards us. I propose we hide and watch."

The other two girls nodded and dived into hiding spots, peering from behind a trunk and in a bush to spy.

Kotone stood obliviously (or at least, that's what the other girls thought), her white outfit completely clashing with her surroundings.

"Kotone!" Hiromi whispered, "Hide!"

The emotionless girl either did not hear her or ignored her, standing completely still.

She suddenly leapt from her perch and landed softly on the ironically bright green grass.

She turned towards her teammates, "It is safe."

Maiko leapt out of her hiding place with a frown, "You complete idiot! When you tell people to hide, you hide, too! Haven't you ever play Hide-and-"

Before the tomboy could finish, a scream echoed throughout the entire place.

A blood-curdling, human scream.

Hiromi gulped, "Was that..?"

Maiko's expression stiffened, "I guess that means that the game is beginning.."

Kotone's expression stayed unaltered, "We must continue moving. We have only two priorities."

She lifted a pale finger, "Number one, get a heaven scroll."

Another finger, "Number two.."

Hiromi stiffened.

Maiko frowned.

"Do not be killed."

* * *

><p>.<p>

.

.

.

**Please look forward to Chapter 12!**


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: Hi everyone :) I'm feeling a lot better.. BECAUSE IT'S MARCH! I'll just leave it at that. **

**Anyways, I hope you guys really like this chapter. I put a lot of procrastination into this thing. **

**Thanks to...**

_REVIEWS - _

Eternal Cat Moon - I hope I haven't let you down in this chapter :c There isn't too much action and I'm not very satisfied with it. Please tell me what you think :) If you don't mind.

sandluvr1213 - It's totally fine if you're annoyed :) I get annoyed when my favorite fanfics aren't updated either.. Who knows what the authoress is going through! ... Is it weird that I automatically presume fanfic writes are girls? Sorry, gentlemen ._. I am feeling better, thanks :) Thank you for showing concern 3

I'll just go ahead and say someone will target them. I'm sorry if I let you down in this chapter.. I just forced myself to type it up because I've been so lazy lately. Thanks for reading :) I love you!

kaefa - There's no need to feel sorry :) Though I really appreciate it. I know that she's in heaven so everything is good :)

Gaara is WAY too cool. Too cool for birthday parties.

OMG THANK YOU! I LOVE the Hunger Games and I feel so honoured you compare my story with it! Thank you very much X)

Tough chick - You get kinda close to..? I can't introduce him quite yet.. It'd be WAAAYY too soon _ But I'll give you a little hint ... He's... . ... . ... from ... . ... ... Kotone's homeland _ DON'T TELL ANYONE!

indescribable music - I actually hope she is dancing up in heaven right now :) Happier than I could ever be down there on earth.

I hope you like this chapter.. I don't wanna screw up some of the best parts of Naruto. Please do send your feedback :)

Mikachoco - Hi :) Thank you so much for the lovely review :D I feel so honoured when people compliment my writing. I appreciate you all so much and I just hope I can keep writing enjoyable fanfiction :) Thank you for your review and I hope you keep reading!

tsuki-shinigami - If I recall this correctly.. you were my first reviewer? Maybe? Maybe not? I can't quite remember. Either way, thank you very much for the review :) Like always..? You flatter me too much X)

I KNOW! I've been so lazy and miserable! I just didn't want to do anything. I love it when stories I enjoy update as well :) I hope you also enjoy this update! Thank you for your feedback!

MaoIsSleepy () - This review made my day. It was funny and I laughed despite not having coffee. Thank you :)

animegeek123 - Thank you~! I always appreciate reviews and I'm glad you love my story and I thank you for being concerned about me (in a way) ;) Makes me feel loved.

_FAVORITINGS - _

I got mugged by a penguin - I'm so sorry about.. the whole penguin thing.. Just know I'm here for you, man.

Mikachoco - Thank you, moochacho.

animegirl3774 - Teehee.

_ALERTS - _

Starslight21 - Teehee. thanks.

tHeEviLjOkEr - I flippin' love Batman.

Mikachoco - ... This is awkward.

animegeek123 - Hehehe.. Haha.. Ha.. Awkward.

**-:-**

**If I forgot you, I'm really sorry... Want some oreos? **

-:-

**I DON'T OWN NARUTO. Short and sweet. **

**-:-**

**Reviews will be kissed at the door. **

**Flames will be left at the driveway. **

* * *

><p>Akuma means... Demon.<p>

**POV - No one **

-:-

"Wait, who made you in charge?" The tomboy pouted.

Her blonde friend sighed, "Kotone seems to know what she's doing, so let's let her lead for now, okay?"

The green-haired genin (soon to be chunin?) uncrossed her arms, "Well, okay, fine, but I want to know our strategy."

Kotone turned swiftly and drew in the dirt with her index finger the exact terrain of the land.

"I memorized the map when the examiner unrolled it. I compute that we are right," The girl placed her finger at a random point, not too far from a river, "Here."

Maiko knelt down, "We need to find someone and get his or her scroll."

Hiromi crossed her arms, "But we still need to get shelter and food, and that's more important."

Kotone looked up at her with impassive eyes, "If we are to gain a scroll earlier into the exam, we should-"

The whiz of a kunai stopped their meeting and the three girls leapt backwards, staring at the weapon implanted in their map.

Maiko pulled out her own kunai and glared into the trees.

Kotone stood perfectly still.

Hiromi's knees shook as she held her kunai defensively in front of her.

"Well, well, well, boys. Look what we've got here."

Three figures appeared up in one of the trees and Maiko growled.

"Come fight us you (curse.)!"

The one on the far left, a male with an eye patch, chuckled, "Young ladies shouldn't say such dirty words."

His friend to the right of him pulled out a sword, "Maybe we should teach her some manners, hmm?"

Maiko gulped.

It seemed a little too soon to have confrontation with another team..

She paled.

_Oh no! I bet they targeted us!_

Hiromi gripped her kunai tighter, "W-well? What are you waiting for?"

Kotone dug her feet into her ground.

.

.

.

Almost too quickly, the three disappeared and reappeared all in front of Maiko.

The tomboy gasped before holding her kunai up in an X-formation, catching one of the ninja's swords and tossing it up into the air.

She leapt backwards, dodging a kick, and in midair, threw some senbon.

The male with the eye patch smirked, "Getting a little feisty, huh?"

Hiromi charged, "Back off my teammates!"

Her kunai missed his skin by inches and she was knocked backwards by his partner's kick.

Kotone performed a multitude of hand seals before raising her hands in front of her and saying blankly, "Kaze no ken [A/N: Wind Sword]."

Hiromi squeaked and did a backwards somersault to get out of her teammate's way.

She had seen this jutsu before.

Suddenly, as though attracted to one area, a gust of wind formed a violent tornado in the form of a large weapon.

Slowly, Kotone lifted her hands and at lightning fast speed threw her arms out towards the other team of genin, without even moving her feet.

The violent gusts swiftly smashed into the other men and their screams caused Hiromi to cover her ears.

Maiko, being in the midst of them, leapt out just in time, but not before having her leg sliced.

The wind was so extremely violent, being filled with Kotone's chakra, it no longer simply blew one down, but cut one into microscopic pieces.

Their screams ended abruptly as the wind died down and swept back towards Kotone.

It moved her hair artistically and she spoke unaffected by the blood splattered across the ground.

"Check for their scroll."

Hiromi nodded numbly before sauntering over to the leftovers until she found a (miraculously) unshaved scroll.

"I found it!" She cried before looking closely at the scroll and groaning in frustration.

"It's an earth scroll."

Maiko let out a yell of agony, gathering her teammate's attention.

"You idiot, Kotone!" She snapped, "I was in there! Why would you risk it?"

Kotone walked towards her without a glint of worry in her eye and looked down at her.

"I gauged a eighty-eight percent chance you would survive and if that number were to be estimated it would equal a hundred percent, meaning you would surely survive."

The tomboy growled at her, hissing as Hiromi checked her wounds.

"You're lucky to have escaped so easily," She whispered softly, "I'll use my healing jutsu for now, but we should still wrap it up and keep you out of trouble."

The green-haired girl nodded, biting her bottom lip as Hiromi's soothing, green chakra sent waves of relief into her wound.

Kotone threw a glance at the sliced up chunks of human.

**Magnificent! Glorious! The beauty and deliciousness of the blood and flesh of a human.. You've done well, my pet. **

Maiko let out a hiss of relief as Hiromi gently tied her leg up with a ripped piece of cloth from her shirt.

"I calculate that we will soon be discovered if we do not continue to move. The scent of blood is strong" Kotone deadpanned.

Her blonde teammate frowned.

_Doesn't she care that she hurt Maiko-chan?_

The tomboy stood, shakily, and stretched her limbs, "Kotone's right. We need to keep moving before someone finds us."

Hiromi nodded and followed suit as Kotone leapt up into one of the trees.

The girls had barely gotten anywhere when they realized it was beginning to become darker.

"We need to find shelter," Hiromi said softly, still shaken by Kotone's earlier show.

Maiko's stomach growled viciously as she added, "And food."

The emotionless girl nodded, "I analyze that it would be beneficial if we set up camp near the river."

The blonde girl with the braid nodded, "That's a good idea. We can fish for food and get water to clean Maiko's wound and drink."

The tomboy snorted, "Then let's hurry it up! I'm starving and my leg is starting to itch."

Hiromi giggled as the three landed on the soft, green grass instead of the hard, sticky, wet bark of the trees.

The sound of water flowing gently caused Maiko to let out a yawn.

The team slowly approached the river and the tomboy fell softly face-first into the grass, tired and worn out.

Hiromi laughed, not too loudly so that she didn't attract any more enemies, and sat down beside her with a weary smile.

Kotone's geta made ugly imprints in the grass as she walked slowly towards the river, looking down at her reflection.

It was so blurry..

The pastel girl stayed stiff.

**Yes, my pet.. You know what it means.. _I am near_. **

Hiromi looked up at Kotone with a small frown.

She looked.. almost troubled in a way.

The blonde spoke softly and gently, like a mother soothing her child.

A mother.. soothing her child..

"You can tell us anything, Kotone."

A mother.

A child.

The girl in the white kimono slowly backed away from the river.

"I will prepare a place for us to rest."

And she was gone.

.

.

.

Maiko opened one eye wearily as water was pleasantly poured onto her leg.

"Hiromi-chan. Are you okay?"

The blonde looked down at her 'patient' and smiled, "Of course. I'm just a little sleepy that's all."

The tomboy closed her eye and took a deep breath, "I can't wait to dig my teeth into some good ol' fashion cooked fish."

Her teammate with the braid giggled, "Me neither. I just hope we find out how to catch the fish without any equipment."

Maiko reopened her eyes, "(Curse.)! You're right! How are we going to get the fish?"

Hiromi chuckled nervously, "Uhh.. Maybe Kotone will have an idea?"

The green-haired girl with the odd eyes groaned, "Where is she, by the way?"

Her friend frowned, "I don't know. She said she was going to get shelter, but.."

When there was no reply, the girl looked at her teammate only to smile.

She was sleeping with a peaceful look on her face..

Hiromi gently lifted her head and placed it on her lap, using her fingers to gently brush through her short green hair.

. . .

"Nen-nen korori yo, Okorori yo.

Bōya wa yoi ko da, Nenne shina~

Bōya no omori wa, Doko e itta?

Ano yama koete, Sato e itta.

Sato no miyage ni, Nani morouta?

Den-den taiko ni, Shō no fue."

* * *

><p><strong>POV change - ?<strong>

**-:-**

Orochimaru was lax.

Calm.

They were hot on the children's trail and he would mark that boy once and for all..

A crunch occurred behind him and he turned quickly, about to throw a deadly kunai but stopped mid-throw.

"Good afternoon, Orochimaru-sama."

A figure stepped out of the shadows of the evil forest until directly in front of the Grass nin disguised snake.

His expression scrunched in disgust.

It was just one of _that man's_ lowly servants..

The woman in front of him was as pale as himself hidden underneath the skin and face of the Grass nin.

Her hair was as black as night, though, and it was curled up in a royal bun.

Her kimono was deep red and her face painted with make-up.

He remembered her from when his ... _friend _created her.

She spoke in a lifeless voice, drained of all emotion.

"Master has ordered that I tell you not to harm a certain genin during this entire exam."

Orochimaru hissed, "Oh? Your master knows I am only after one child.."

The woman continued, "Master favors this child and I have been commanded to tell you in strict form that you mustn't touch her."

The snake man frowned.

Favored, huh..?

He smirked and spoke in his disguised voice, "I will not touch your specimen.. Tell your master that and be gone."

When she did not move, the snake man frowned.

. . .  
>The woman suddenly collapsed, held up by a multitude of strings.<p>

Orochimaru smirked and flicked his tongue like a reptile.

"Like I said, I won't lay a finger on your prize..."

The puppet smiled eerily.

"Akuma-san."

* * *

><p><strong>POV change - Kotone<strong>

**-:-**

The pale girl returned to the temporary camp by the river to tell her teammates of the cave she had found only to discover Maiko and Hiromi completely asleep ; faces unaltered by their surroundings.

Kotone ambled towards the girls and looked down at them.

.

.

.

Had she ever felt that peaceful?

Her hand reached out to brush some hair away from Hiromi's face, but pain raked through it and she stumbled backwards.

The hurt felt like someone had decided to stab her in the arm multiple times.

She let her mouth open in a soundless scream before collapsing to her knees.

.

.

.

"Kotone.. Is that you?" A sleepy voice occurred from behind her.

The emotionless genin turned her head.

Hiromi's blue eyes blinked lazily at her.

"I have found an appropriate place to sleep. I suggest we go there immediately while you are awake."

The blonde blinked a couple of more times before looking down at the peaceful girl in her lap.

"Should I wake her?" She asked softly.

Kotone stood and replied, "I calculate an eighty-two percent chance that it would be easier to simply carry her."

Hiromi nodded before carefully slipping away from her friend and standing, stretching her tired muscles.

Her pale teammate waited subtly by her side, watching blankly as she gently lifted Maiko onto her back.

"I gauge a ninety-nine point nine percent chance that it would be faster if I were the one to carry her."

Hiromi frowned before shaking her head, "She's as light as a feather. I'm not that weak, Kotone. I can carry her. Lead the way."

. . .

. . .

. . .

They walked in cautious silence.

It was so dark that anyone would want to sneak up on some innocent little girls.

Kotone turned abruptly and Hiromi attempted to follow, but stepped on a branch, causing a crunching noise.

The pale girl turned and stared into trees.

Hiromi blanched.

The lifeless girl put a finger to her lips and kept walking ahead, causing the blonde behind her to let out a sigh.

.

.

.

Eventually they reached a tiny cave that one would have to crawl inside to find shelter.

Hiromi frowned, "How are we all going to fit in?"

Kotone shook her head, "I will not be sleeping. I will stand outside on guard."

The girl with the braid almost dropped Maiko, "What? You need to sleep too, Kotone! We can take breaks!"

Her loud voice caused her pastel partner to slap a hand over her mouth.

"Silence. There is a fifteen percent chance someone is going to come and attempt to kill us and I refuse to go against it. I will stand on guard and the two of you will sleep" Kotone said blankly.

Hiromi nodded sadly before placing Maiko on the ground.

Her face looked calm, encased in a dream of some sort.

The blonde carefully crawled into the cave, gently pulling the girl with her.

Once Maiko was safely lying in as comfortable as a position there was, Hiromi squeezed out of the haven.

.

.

.

"Kotone.."

The girl turned her head.

"Yes, Hiromi Sato?"

. . .

"You can call me Hiromi."

"Was there something you needed, Hiromi Sato?"

The blonde's ocean blue eyes began to fill with tears.

"Kotone.. We're a family.. We made a pact and .. and.."

The pale girl turned fully around and stated as blandly as though reciting a poem for class, "I am unable to form relationships of any kind. I am an emotionless being, not created for the reason of creating bonds. I suggest you return to our temporary camp site and sleep, for you will be useless to me when tired."

The girl with the braid was about to turn away and take up the offer, but instead ran into her friends arms (they weren't open for her, but oh well) and wrapped her own skinny limbs (not her legs, you sick freaks) around Kotone's torso.

"Kotone," She mumbled into her silky white kimono, "you can tell us anything! We're friends! We're a team and we'll always be one. Would you please tell me why you can't accept that?"  
>.<p>

.

.

The kind girl was shoved away and Kotone turned back towards the forest.

"A weak human being like you would not comprehend my strength. I gauge a ninety-two percent possibility that you are tired. Go to sleep with Maiko and I will stay here. You must accept that."

Hiromi let her tears fall.

Her own teammate.. So distant and far from herself..

But the blonde simply crawled back into the cave and closed her eyes, aware of the ghostly white figure standing at the entrance to their resting place.

* * *

><p><strong>POV change - Maiko<strong>

**-:-**

Her dreams were less vivid this time, but she woke up early in a cold sweat.

To her surprise, she smacked her head against the roof of a cave and groaned in pain.

"Where..?" She mumbled.

Suddenly all of her thoughts ended when the scent of cooked fish hit her nostrils.

"Mm! Is that fish I smell?" She asked enthusiastically, attempting to shimmy out of the cave.

A sharp pain shot up throughout her leg, but Maiko ignored it, escaping the cramped space and stretching her arms cheerfully.

"Good morning! I slept like a rock."

She opened her unique eyes and met Kotone's deathly white ones.

"There is a hundred percent chance the scent you have noticed is the fish I have prepared. I suggest you eat. You will be useless if hungry."

The green-haired tomboy growled before falling to the ground on her behind, directly in front of a professionally created fire (Kotone, probably).

Hiromi sat on the other side, cheerfully nibbling at her fish.

She smiled at the still sleepy tomboy across from her.

"Good morning, Maiko-chan. I bet you're hungry. Let's clean your wound by the river after we eat, okay?"

The green-haired girl frowned, "That water burns."

Hiromi grinned, "That only means it's working."

Kotone stood nearby, watching like a skeleton (but most certainly not looking like one) as her teammates ate.

Maiko shoved a fish in her face, "Eat, Kotone. You probably didn't sleep much and you practically eat nothing. Eat something."

To her surprise, the pale girl sat down and took one clean bite out of the dish, her cheeks puffing up with the amount of deliciously cooked fish.

The green-haired tomboy stared in shock.

"Whoa.." She whispered.

Hiromi almost dropped her fish.

Kotone _never _ate! Not in front of them, not around them, not at all!

When the fish was stripped down to its bone, Kotone threw it into the fire and stood, no sign of the dish on her face of kimono.

Maiko's eye twitched, "You finally ate! Good, good! Now we just need you to smile."

Hiromi giggled, "That'd be nice, Kotone."

The pastel girl kept a poker face on before stating lifelessly, "I suggest the two of you take care of any remaining business. We shall be leaving very soon to capture one who owns a scroll."

Maiko watched as the girl walked back towards the cave to get rid of evidence of their stay and glanced at Hiromi.

The blonde was on the brim of tears.

"I guess we should go.. Come on. I remember where the river is."

.

.

.

.

.

The water was cold, but soothing on Maiko's injured leg and she let out a hiss of relief and pain when it was gently poured upon her leg.

Hiromi was frowning the entire time, engulfed in deep thoughts.

The green-haired tomboy smirked, "Hiromi-chan!"

The blonde suddenly flinched and fell backwards into the river, causing a loud splash and a array of hyena-like laughter from Maiko.

"Ah-ha-ha-ha-ha! I'm so-.. Ha-ha-ha-ha! I'm so sorry, Hi-.. Ha-ha-ha-! Hiromi-chan!"

The blonde emerged from the river, spitting up water like a fountain, her expression angry, yet joyful.

"Jerk! I try to be nice to you and this is what I get?" She asked mockingly.

Maiko shrugged and before she knew it, Hiromi had shoved her into the water as well.

She surfaced quickly, laughing and coughing out water.

She splashed the already wet Hiromi who simply squealed in reply.

The blonde helped yank her friend out of the river, both giggling and smiling.

It was almost ironic to see such a bonding event happen in the Chunin Exams, of all places.

Of course. All good things.. come to ends.

* * *

><p><strong>POV change - No one<strong>

**-:-**

Shikamaru and his team were hopeless.

Ino complained about her hair, Choji complained about his food, and Shikamaru complained about their complaints.

Everything was going downhill for them.

They were climbing up a random hill (how..?) when it happened.

A blood-curdling scream, louder than the one the day before, piercing the once silent and eerie air.

Shikamaru and Choji froze.

Ino frowned, "What are you two slowpokes doing? Let's go!"

Shikamaru glared into her teal eyes.

Choji frowned.

"That wasn't ... just anybody."

Shikamaru suddenly had a determined, frightening look on his face.

"That was Maiko."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Bad ending? Good ending? Feedback? Nervousness? Hunger? CHAPSTICK? **

Remember that I love you all and that all of you are beautiful :)


	13. Chapter 13

A/N: Hey, everyone! Sorry I took so long with this update! I hope you enjoy it.. And I hope it's long enough. Fifteen flippin' pages on Word.

Anyways, I had a very nice March :) And I want to make sure and have more updates in this April!

Thanks to..

kaefa - For reviewing :) Thank you very much!

I saw the movie just a days ago :) It was awesome! Nothing compared to the books, though.

I hope you enjoyed this chapter :) Perhaps.. Kotone will reveal her identity and past soon? I don't know.. Maybe ;)

() - For reviewing :) THANKS!

Awww :) Thank you!

I may throw in a surprise laugh sooner or later for you, my friend ;)

._. I didn't update fast.

But I hope you still love my story :[

animegirl3774 - For reviewing :) thanx dawg

Thank you SO MUCH! I love feedback :D Especially when it's positive!

Wasn't a very soon update, I know, but.. Here ya go.

indescribable music - For reviewing :) THANK YOU!

Heheheheh :) I know. I'm awful.

HERE IT IS! READ! QUICKLY!

Thank you very much :) I hope you enjoy this chapter as well

Eternal Cat Moon - For reviewing :) Thank you very much!

Aww! Thank you! That's a great lift off of my shoulders!

Mmmmmhm ;) Maybe you could.. figure out something about Master with that little info? Hmmm?

Hahahah XD I didn't update soon, but here's your update!

animegeek123 - For reviewing :) Thanks so much!

Awww XD you're so sweet! Here's an update for you to read. I hope you like it!

MaoIsSleepy () - For reviewing :) TASPIHASNF. Thanks.

OMG THANK YOU. I was beginning to think , 'I fail at cliffhangers :[' but my lovely readers reassured me that I did good :) Thank you.

Really..? Oh my word, I do that, too. Thank the Lord I am not the only one.

I'm so glad that you think this way of my story :') I'm so.. happy. I really can't describe how happy I am.

My bleach one? I am so dang lazy XD i'm sorry! and it barely has reviews so I'm like, "It can wait. No one's waitin' on it." And i get all lazy XD

Kotone loves you too :) Actually.. She can't love. But I love you instead :)

Hope you enjoy this chapter!

sandluvr1213 - For reviewing :) CHAPSTICK.

Oh my word, I am the worst person with chapstick. I'll have it in my pocket one day, then it'll be gone. I'm AWFUL.

Why thank you :) I'm glad someone appreciated it.. Teehe

._. No. YOU'RE awesome.

I hope you like this next chapter :3

bored411 - For reviewing :) I always enjoy a new reviewer!

Sorry I was so slow with the update.. I'm such a lazy bum XD

You.. really enjoy it? THANK YOU! I really enjoy your feedback :) And you. You're awesome, you know that?

Sorry if I disappointed you with Shikamaru's reaction... Can't have him swooping in to save the day just yet ;)

Anyways, I really hope you keep reading my story :) Thank you!

kaefa - For favoriting my story :) Thank you, dude. Or dudete. I always presume fanfictioners are girls.. I'm sorry, men.

black-rose-angle - For favoriting my story :) YOU ROCK! You give me inspiration! Thanks for everything.

PossibleSociopath - For favoriting my story :) No offense, but your username scared me ._.

XxxJeannaxxX - For favoriting my story :) ... I'm beginning to wonder if people even read through this part and read what I send them.. Huh.

smokeyuchiha - For favoriting my story :) Smokey Uchiha, huh? Mmmmm Itachi. And even Sasuke sometimes.. Madara, too if you wanna get personal XD

polysemic842 - For favoriting my story :) I bet no one reads these.. I kinda feel dumb.

bored411 - For favoriting my story :) HEY DUDE! Welcome :D

xXYuseiXAkikoXx - For favoriting my story :) I think I may go crazy from typing all this at 2 am XD

QueenOfBunnies - For favoriting me as an author :) Thank you very much for this. I really appreciate it.. It means that you LIKE ME. Well, you know what? I like you too, bro. I LOVE YOU. You are awesome.

black-rose-angle - For alerting :) THANKS, BRO. LET'S GO CATCH SOME WAVES, BRA.

RainbowPigs - For alerting :) I wish robots, like, legit robots, would do all my homework and stuff for me..

Purple Panda Princess - For alerting :) OH MY WORD I LOVE YA'LL'S USERNAMES XD

bored411 - For alerting :) I feel like I'm about to fall asleep.. Good heavens.

black-rose-angle - For alerting me as an author :) Thanks, dude.. Oh my word I'm about to fall asleep. I love you.. You're awesome..

* * *

><p>I'm sorry if I forgot you.. You can PM me and we'll work it out.. Oh my heavens I'm exhausted.<p>

* * *

><p>I DON'T OWN NARUTO. JUST MY OC'S. Good night.<p>

Oh, by the way.. I'm flammable. NO FLAMES. Please :L

* * *

><p><em>The small girl was lost, confused.. <em>

_Dead. _

_Her eyes were open._

_All around her was water. _

_Darkness. _

_Ink. _

_Her eyes stopped blinking and the girl choked. _

_Water.. _

_Was it entering her mouth? Strangling her?_

_She could not feel anything. _

_Where was hope?_

_Where was life? _

_The girl closed her eyes miraculously and took a deep inhale of water. _

_Maybe if she did this she would die sooner.._

"Do you really want to die..?"

_Who is that.. ?_

_Such.. a silky voice._

"Come to me and I will be your hope.. I will be your life.."

_I.. I need your hope.. I need your life.._

_A hand..? _

"Take my hand.. I will be yours.."

* * *

><p><strong>POV change - ?<strong>

-:-

A young woman smiled up into the sky, her teeth a dazzling white.

Rain fell onto her beautiful face methodically.

Her hair fell in waves behind her.

She closed her eyes and kept her smile strong.

Her breath was slow and calm.

Footsteps occurred behind her and the lady kept still.

"Will it ever end, do you think? This invisible game of cat and mouse.. This race for a life we don't even know exists?" She asked.

Her voice was lighthearted and cheery, in a morbid way.

The reply from the figure behind her was muffled and deep.

"Perhaps we have already reached the end of this Maze of Time.. But.. perhaps.. we are simply still at the beginning. Do you believe that this will end and we will live?"

The young lady frowned and looked down at the damp ground.

"In a way.. I think we will find the way.. The light.. And we will be reborn."

The young man behind her pulled down his mask that was covering his mouth.

His silky, soft lips were smashed in a straight line.

"I think.. the light will be darker than we imagined.. And we will be sucked into death itself."

The woman stood, the rain slowly coming to a halt.

"There is only one way we can find out. "

* * *

><p><strong>POV change- Kotone<strong>

**-:-**

The scream was loud and echoing and Kotone turned abruptly towards the river.

That was most definitely Maiko Arakawa.

Her teammate.

The pale girl stayed stiff.

**What a pathetic human. **

**Leaving your sight for a single moment and getting herself killed. **

Kotone clenched her fist.

Human..

Killed..

. . .

She ran.

. . .

. . .

* * *

><p><strong>POV change - No one<strong>

-:-

"Just give up your scroll and we won't kill you."

"Don't do it, Hiromi-cha- AHHHHH!"

Maiko let out another scream as her injured leg was dug into with a rusty kunai.

Hiromi blinked away tears.

"We lost our scroll already! Leave us be!"

Her voice was high-pitched with fear and nervousness.

Maiko let out another scream, attempting to shut her mouth and grit her teeth as her captor shoved the kunai further into her wound.

Hiromi whimpered.

"L-leave us alone! We don't have a scroll! Someone already took it!"

The man's partner, a tall woman with oily blonde hair, snorted.

"We know you're lying. Just give it up.. Or we'll just have to wait for your teammate to come back and try to save you!"

Hiromi gulped.

The woman with the oily hair stalked towards the fellow blonde before snatching her braid and yanking on it, causing the smaller girl to cry out in pain.

"Weakling! Just hand over your (curse.) scroll!"

The girl attempted to yank away from her captor, but the woman held onto her hair with an iron grip.

"She cannot hand over our scroll to you because she is not the human holding it."

The deadpanned statement caused Maiko and Hiromi to smile in relief.

"Kotone!"

The pale figure stood out distinctively in the forest of death and the team of older genin turned and smirked.

The eldest and tallest of the three enemies barked out a laugh.

"This girl is even smaller than the others! Get her!"

His partner disappeared in a flash and Kotone stood deathly still.

Hiromi screamed, "Run, Kotone! Run!"

The pastel child raised her hand and suddenly grabbed thin air.

Maiko hiccupped.

Her hand suddenly was grasping a taller man's wrist, his hand occupying a kunai centimeters from her face.

Kotone squeezed.

. . .

_POP._

. . .

The man screamed and Hiromi watched in horror as a white bone revealed itself, bloody and cracked.

He collapsed to the ground and Kotone turned towards the other two older genin.

"I suggest the two of you leave us with your scroll and depart."

The woman with the oily hair screeched, "We won't leave without your earth scroll!"

Maiko groaned, "We don't even have an earth scroll!"

The kunai was shoved further into her leg and her captor smirked, "Any scroll will do. We got scammed out of ours.."

The green-haired tomboy screamed.

Kotone took a step towards the enemies and held out her hand, palm facing the two older genin.

"There is a one hundred percent chance that this will kill you. There is thirty seconds before the jutsu is activated."

The oily haired blonde frowned.

Maiko hissed, "Kotone.. You better not slice me up with your jutsu again."

Hiromi twisted and attempted to slam her small fists into her opponent, but the woman kicked her roughly in the face.

Kotone took a step forward and performed lightning fast hand seals before muttering,

"Shiza hariken jutsu. [A/N: Scissor Hurricane]"

. . .

* * *

><p>For a moment, there was nothing.<p>

Then suddenly, the trees bent.

The wind around the group was so strong, the forest seemed to be sucked in towards the pale girl standing ever so picturesquely.

Finally, some of the gales shot themselves violently at the oily haired woman and she shrieked.

Maiko had to scream over the wind to speak to Hiromi, "Get away from her! The wind is going to kill her!"

The blonde yanked away from the woman (her grip was loosened as her shrieks increased from the winds deathly blows) and was almost blown off her feet as she ducked and tried to stay on the ground.

Maiko shoved away from her own captor, who was mesmerized by the wind's fury, and covered Hiromi with her own body, blood leaking from her wound.

.

.

.

And the two kept silent as the winds died down and the screams were silenced.

Kotone nudged Maiko.

"The jutsu's effect has ended. The enemies are dead."

Maiko lifted her head and her mouth fell in shock.

The trees were bent permanently inward, almost making the scenery look like a natural tent.

Blood painted the ground.

She stood and stumbled backwards, griping her leg.

Hiromi immediately jumped up and caught her clumsily.

Her voice was soft and comforting, "We need to wrap up your leg, Maiko."

Kotone rolled a body over with her foot.

"These genin do not have any scrolls, just as they said. It seems as though the gods do not favor us."

Maiko hissed in pain as Hiromi examined her wound, "Whaddya know... We still have.. Gahh.. three more days, right?"

The blonde genin sighed and nodded, "Yeah.. That's still a lot of time, though! Maybe we'll get a scroll by tomorrow!"

Kotone stepped forward, "I estimate a fifty-two percent chance we will encounter another genin team. I also estimate a twenty-two percent chance they will have the scroll we desire."

Maiko groaned, "I don't want to hear the statistics of the situation, Kotone! I want to get out of this blood bath and find a scroll lying in the grass wrapped in a red bow!"

The pale genin looked down at her teammate with a blank expression, "I estimate a zero percent chance this will occur. The fact that you believe there will be a scroll waiting for us is unrealistic. The statistics of the situation are all that matter."

Hiromi frowned, "Please stop arguing. We have so much more to go, let's just try and get through this together, okay?"

Maiko crossed her arms sternly, "Whatever."

Kotone looked away.

When the blonde girl was finished with wrapping her friend's wound, she stood, helping Maiko to her feet.

"So where to now?" The green-haired tomboy sighed.

Her insipid teammate drew a map in the blood with her finger.

"I calculate an eighty-percent chance of finding another group of genin near this area."

She pointed to a small area on the map far from where the three girls were.

Maiko huffed, "How the heck are we supposed to drag my injured (curse.) across this (curse.) forest, you (curse.)!"

Kotone stared at her before deadpanning, "Are you finished cursing? Your words will not get us anywhere. I suggest we move now instead of wasting our time here."  
>Her teammate with the odd eyes blinked owlishly before growling.<p>

Hiromi snapped, "You both need to start getting along! I know we're in a tough situation and we're all pretty hungry and tired, but we need to work together! We're a team! Don't you remember that, ah, pact we made? We need to fight for each other and protect one another!"

Kotone turned away, "My lack of emotions limits my acts. I did not emotionally agree with those terms."

Maiko threw a stick at the back of her teammate's head, causing Hiromi to gasp and cover her mouth.

"I don't care if you don't think you have emotions! We are a team and you better start acting like it! You aren't alone, Kotone! We're here for you!"

The emotionless girl turned and said monotonously, "I estimate an eighty-three point two percent chance that this will not work."

Hiromi's lip quivered, "Hanako-sensei told us we needed to grow together, Kotone! We can't just keep moving along like we're strangers! We're in this together.."

When the white genin continued to walk away, Maiko hobbled after her.

"She won't listen," she said with a glare, "We just have to keep trying. Let's go, Hiromi-chan."

The girl with the braid sighed then nodded, walking along side her injured teammate.

* * *

><p>The sun went down faster than it came up that morning.<p>

The girls had been walking and running for so long that Maiko's leg was numb.

"Guys, I don't think we're going to find another team before night. Let's set up camp and get some sleep."

Hiromi yawned, "I think Maiko is right, Kotone. Let's stop."

Kotone stopped stiffly and turned around to face her teammates, "There is a ninety-three percent chance that we will soon find another team of genin."

Maiko groaned, "I can't take it anymore, Kotone, I just want to go to bed."

Hiromi nodded sleepily in agreement.

Their deathly pale partner nodded, "I can comprehend this information. We shall seek shelter immediately."

She turned back around to face the morbid forest after saying dully, "Do not move from this place."

Kotone disappeared in a flash, leaving her two teammates behind.

Maiko immediately lumbered over to a tree and broke off one of its dead branches.

The snap caused Hiromi to squeak.

"What are you doing? She said stay here!'

The green-haired genin turned with her dead stick in her hand, "I'm collecting firewood. I'm not going to be useless!"

The blonde girl with the braid smiled softly, "You're right.. I want to help in whatever way I can, too!"

She lost sight of Maiko a few moments later, but worry did not wash over her.

She was busy collecting firewood in hopes of gaining favor in her teammates' eyes.

* * *

><p><strong>POV change - Maiko<strong>

**-:-**

The green-haired girl had hobbled far from the rendezvous point.

She didn't care, though.

She needed some time to think.

She sighed, bending down with a groan of pain, and grabbed a stick.

Maiko, deciding she needed a rest, sat down lazily and closed her eyes.

Recently, voices had been bouncing around her head.

Right after she saw what.. Kotone wanted to do to that kid from the Sand Village.

She was scared.

The voices were extremely quiet and taunted her with whispers.

The genin wanted to scream.

_Just shut up.._

Footsteps became extremely loud and Maiko froze in fear.

When the sounds stopped, she felt cold, but sweaty.

"Well? Go ahead. Kill me. It's not like I have my team's scroll. They left me."

She said boldly, not daring to open her eyes.

"Midori wa baka o hikii."

. . .

Maiko opened her eyes quickly and her mouth was agape.

Standing there..

"Shikamaru..? Choji? Ino?"

Her spiky-haired best friend looked down at her, panting from exhaustion, "Get up and get out of here.. If we were enemy ninja, you would've been torn to shreds."

The green-haired girl nodded before attempting to stand, her leg's wound being so agonizing that she fell back down to the ground.

Ino frowned, "I don't know why we came out here for her sorry butt. She can't even stand."

Choji frowned, "Did you get hurt?"

Maiko hissed, "What do you think, genius?"

Shikamaru walked to her side and grabbed her arm, pulling her up despite her yelp of pain.

"You need to get back to your team," he sighed, "Or else things might get... troublesome."

His tomboy friend sent him a sympathetic smile, "Thank you guys.. I'm sorry for being such a 'troublesome' girl. You guys get to safety."

Ino snorted, "Just remember that next time, baka, we won't go pretending you're our friend."

Maiko frowned.

"R-.. right. See ya."

. . .

* * *

><p><strong>POV change - No one<strong>

**-:-**

When Maiko returned to the rendezvous point, Kotone and Hiromi were waiting for her, standing in heavy silence.

Hiromi practically leapt onto her, tears in her ocean blue eyes, "Where were you?"

Kotone stood quietly off to the side.

The tomboy smirked, "I got some firewood."

She dropped two sticks onto the ground.

Her blonde friend immediately wrapped her arms around Maiko clumsily and cried into her shoulder.

"Don't do that to me, Maiko-chan! I was so worried that you had been snatched away or, or, or killed by another team!"

The girl with odd eyes snorted, "It'll take more than firewood to get rid of ole' Maiko!"

The girl with the braid wiped away her tears, "A-are you sure?"

Maiko nodded, "Yeah! I'm fine! My leg kinda itches, but I'll be fine."

She lied.

The burning and stinging in her leg was unbearable, and she had to bite her tongue to stop from screaming.

Kotone walked towards the two and spoke blankly, "Follow me."

The two girls stopped their reunion and nodded, one supporting the other as they sauntered close behind their pale friend.

. . .

. . .

. .

* * *

><p>Eventually, they reached a pathetic cave that caused Hiromi to cringe.<p>

"I'll," she began with a sigh, "clean up Maiko's wound and then we can get settled. Okay?"

Said green-haired genin hissed, "Oh, you're going to douse it in poison again?"

Hiromi crossed her arms, "It's just water. Here, I saved some in my canister."

She reached into the folds of her clothes, and pulled out a small water canister.

She unscrewed the lid and gently tipped it over so it would trickle cold water down Maiko's throat.

The taste was delicious and the tomboy grinned when the sip was over with, "Alright fine. Wrap me up."

Kotone stood like a scarecrow in front of the cave as Hiromi gently washed and cleansed Maiko's wound.

"Ow!"

"S-sorry! Stay still!"

"That hurts!"

"I know! It's because you're moving too much!"

"But- OW!"

"Be quiet!"

"But that huuuurts!"

"Hush. We're all done! See? All clear."

"Am I ever going to be able to walk again, doctor?"

"Oh, hush. Or you may require an amputation."

Maiko shot up and banged her head against the roof of the cave.

"OWWWWWWW."

Hiromi giggled, "That's what you get."

"Hiromi!" The tomboy whined, "I think I'm bleeding!"

"Oh, you'll be fine.. Go to sleep."

"Hiromi!"

"I said go to sleep!"

"But it huuurts still!"

"Well, I'll check it in the morning."

Kotone turned around stiffly.

"I calculate a fifty-two percent chance that your voices are attracting predators. Refrain from speaking from this point on."  
>. . .<p>

. . .

And they did.

* * *

><p>OMG I feel awful. I read over some earlier chapters.. I have made the dumbest mistakes!<p>

There aren't nine rookies - There are nine plus my team. So twelve.

And so many more.. I'm so sorry .. I need a BETA reader -_-

Anyways, please look forward to chapter fourteen!


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N: It's two in the morning. This shows just how much I love you guys XD Anyways, enjoy the show!'**

**Thanks to..**

Reviewers!

bored411 - Heheheh :) I'm glad you like them! I thought they were kinda weird, but.. I like them :) I hope you enjoy this update c:

Eternal Cat Moon - Oh! Really? I'm not sure if that's good or bad.. It may ;) Romantically.. Teehehehehehe! ANYWAYS, thanks for reading :) I hope you enjoy this chapter!

kaefa - Ahahahaha! I just.. can't imagine dudes. Well, I'm sure you're a beautiful young lady :) Unlike me and my .. masculine features :I

Ahahaha! Yeah, sorry for the long waits :( I'm lazy! And the history is getting shorter, yeah.. I've revealed too much already ;)

Well, thank you very much! I hope you enjoy this chapter :)

tsuki-shinigami - Haha! I know! I'm as fast as a dead person -_-

Awwwww! Thank you! That's so sweet! :))))))) I'm glad you like it.

Here's the next chapter ;) Enjoy. Wink.

MaoIsSleepy () - THANK YOU SO MUCH! That's so sweet :)

I'm glad she looks cool.. Cause she really is ;)

hahaha thanks! I'm trying to make things mysterious, morbid, but funny?

Yay :3 Love all around. I hope you enjoyed this chapter, love!

DawnxAingeal - G-great.. story? THANK YOU SO MUCH! I love you :} I mean, uhh, yeah, thanks.

Ahaha :D Apparently that's popular! I'm gunna try and keep it up.

Really? She's pretty.. Awesome :) THANKS FOR REVIEWING! I hope you enjoy this chapter :D

Favoritings!

theaaa-chan - I am so tired.. All i can say is thank you XD

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DawnxAingeal - Thanks, man.. You reviewed too! you're so sweet.. Good night.

* * *

><p>The cave offered little protection from the cold, yet sweaty weather of the forest.<p>

Maiko couldn't help but feel cramped and uncomfortable as she roughly crawled out of the rocky bed.

Standing in the same spot she was the night before, was Kotone.

She stood, unmoving as her green-haired partner stretched beside her.

"I would say it looks like a beautiful day, but it really doesn't."

The tomboy was right.

The trees were fat, having eaten the souls of those who had died there, and they blocked the sun.

It was dark, and haunting.

"Ah, Maiko-chan! You're finally awake!"

A cute blonde approached her two teammates cheerfully with her arms full of odd-looking berries.

"Yeah.. Umm, Hiromi-chan, what the heck are those?"

The girl with the braid smiled, "Breakfast!"

Kotone approached her silently and eyed the berries in her arms.

"Give them to me. I shall analyze them, in case you have returned with poisonous berries."

The blonde nodded and willingly poured the berries into Kotone's arms.

"How did you sleep, Maiko-chan?" She asked, not watching as her pale teammate began to quickly throw some berries into the bushes, saying blandly, "Poison."

The green-haired genin (her hair was sticking up randomly in places and Hiromi had to cover her mouth to stop the giggles) yawned, "Pretty good, I guess, considering I slept on a rock."

Her shorter friend giggled, "I think it was pretty rough.. But I'm glad Kotone found this place."

She turned towards said girl and squeaked, "K-Kotone! Where are the berries!"

The lifeless girl held up one single berry between her index finger and thumb.

"This is the only berry in your entire gatherings that is not lethal. Even now, I estimate a thirty-three percent chance of death after eating this berry."  
>. . .<p>

Maiko smacked the berry out of Kotone's hand.

. . .

Hiromi sniffed, "What are we supposed to eat, now?"

Kotone deadpanned, "I gauge a fifty-nine percent chance that you will survive without eating this one meal."

The tomboy of the three growled, "But... I'm hungry!"

Hiromi sighed, "I guess Kotone's right, though, Maiko-chan.. We should just try and get our hands on a scroll."

Kotone swiftly leapt up into the branches of one of the trees surrounding them.

"I suggest we continue moving."

Her blonde teammate followed suite, glancing back at Maiko and saying calmly, "Come on, Maiko-chan. Let's go!"

The tomboy frowned, mumbling curses under her breath, and leapt after her team.

* * *

><p>After three days and exactly two hours and twelve minutes (along with fifty two seconds), the girls found a scroll.<p>

It was no easy task, but they got it.

They had ambushed an older group of genin and Kotone nonchalantly wiped them out.

No, she did not kill them.

Hiromi pleaded against their deaths and the impassive girl obeyed.

Maiko cheered, "Yeah! We finally got one!"

Kotone nudged a collapsed genin.

The genin with the long braid frowned, "I don't mean to be rude.. But how did they even get here? They seem a little.. weak."

Her friend with odd eyes shrugged, "Who cares? We got their scroll!"

Hiromi huffed, "Well, there were some injuries! So_ I_ care!"

She turned to face her pale teammate.

"How is your back, Kotone?"

During the short and victorious battle, one of the genin had managed to slash the girl across the back.

Blood squirted out, but she continued to fight.

"I feel nothing. Let us continue to the tower," she replied.

Maiko crossed her arms, "Don't lie, Kotone. If you're hurting you can tell us! Hiromi is good at healing."

The girl with the white hair deadpanned, "I do not feel pain. I am not lying. I am in no need of healing. Let us head to the tower."

Hiromi sighed, "At least let me look at your wound."

Kotone grabbed the Heaven scroll from a genin and put it in her kimono.

"I do not need assistance. I recommend the two of you learn to realize this."

Maiko growled, "We're just being polite. You're human! And humans get hurt!"

The girl with the white hair stopped walking.

"I am not human."

And she continued.

. . . .

* * *

><p><strong>POV change - Hiromi<strong>

**-:-**

The girl was speechless.

She stumbled behind Kotone with a confused expression.

Kotone... wasn't human?

Maybe she was an alien?

The blonde girl blanched.

An alien...

That would explain a great many things.

Like, how strong she was with barely any training..

And how she practically knows everything..

Hiromi sped up so that she was at Kotone's side.

"Umm, Kotone?"

A flicker of pure white eyes makes Hiromi know she's acknowledged.

"If you aren't human.. Are you an alien?"  
>. . .<p>

. . .

Maiko burst into laughter, and gripped her stomach, tears flying to her eyes hysterically.

"Ha-ha-ha-ha! A-.. Ah-ha-ha-ha-ha! An alien?"

Hiromi blushed, "I- well! She said she wasn't human!"

She turned and faced her emotionless teammate, about to say something, but she stopped.

. . . .

Was that a... smile?

. . . .  
>As quickly as it came, it went, and Kotone's hand began to twitch.<p>

She deadpanned her response, "No."

Hiromi, nodded numbly, "R-right.. That was a dumb question."

Maiko folded her arms behind her head, "I've got a good question.. Are we close to that danged tower?"

The conversation went astray, but Hiromi couldn't help but smile.

. . .

Perhaps.. she had a part of Kotone figured out.

* * *

><p><strong>POV change - No one<strong>

**-:-**

"What. The. (Curse.)."

Maiko's words expressed her feelings perfectly.

"W-where is everyone?" Hiromi asked cautiously.

The tower was completely empty, according to Kotone, who had apparently already scanned the entire place.

They stood in what looked like an auditorium of sorts, and a message was on the wall.

Kotone read it aloud.

"If you do not possess Heaven, gain knowledge and be prepared. If you do not possess Earth, run through the fields and seek strength. If you open both Heaven and Earth, dangerous paths will become safe. This is the secret of. It shall lead you on your way."

Maiko fell to the ground, ignoring the stinging pain in her leg, "What the (curse.) is that even supposed to mean?"

Hiromi frowned, "Secret of what, Kotone?"

The pale girl responded, "There is nothing there. Perhaps it is unfinished."

Maiko groaned, "Well, what are we supposed to do, then?"

Her blonde teammate gasped, "I think.. It wants us to open both our scrolls!"

Kotone nodded, "I calculate a eighty-three percent chance that this message is suggesting that."

She pulled out their two scrolls (Hiromi cringed ; one was covered in blood) and handed one to Maiko, who took it lazily.

Hiromi gulped.

. . .

. . .

The two girls gently peeled their scrolls open until an image of a summoning inscription came into view.

Kotone tossed hers to the ground, glancing at Maiko, signifying for her to do the same.

When she didn't, Hiromi grabbed her scroll and chucked it at the other scroll already on the ground.

Maiko and Hiromi's eyes went wide as the two scrolls breathed out a large smoky explosion.

Immediately, the blonde girl squeaked, "I'm so sorry!"

. . . .

"Don't be, Sato-san."

The outline of a figure became obvious and Maiko gaped.

. . .

"Hanako-sensei?"

Said crazy woman stepped out of the dissipating smoke and smiled gracefully.

"Good afternoon."

Maiko hobbled to her sensei and barked at her, "Where is everyone? Why is there a retarded message on the wall? Did we pass?"

Hiromi fell to her knees, tears at her eyes.

. . .

Hanako shoved the tomboy away and smirked, "Keep your hands to yourself, brat! I'm here to explain all of that!"

She coughed gently into her hand before continuing.

"Anyways, you all have passed!"

Hiromi cried softly with joy.

Maiko whooped.

Hanako continued, "Well, you passed this exam, which tested your mission completion. So if you had broken the rules and opened your scroll, I would have had the opportunity to knock all of you out!"

Hiromi wiped away her tears unsuccessfully, "Th-thank you, s-sensei."

The beautiful woman waved her hand theatrically, "Oh, well, I would've enjoyed it.. But I enjoy the thought of my girls becoming chunin more!"

Maiko smirked, "So what's next?"

Hanako smiled, "The Preliminaries."

"Wh-what are those?" Hiromi sniffed.

"They're kind of a test for a test. It will drain out those who aren't strong enough to become chunin, and gather up those who might," her sensei explained.

Maiko whooped once again, "Yeah! We're gonna win this!"

Hanako frowned, "Not so fast, Arakawa-san. You'll be facing whoever survived this. They're stronger than you most likely."

The tomboy flexed, "No problem! I'll blow 'em away."

Hiromi shakily stood, her face tear-stained.

"W-well.. Let's go then!"

Hanako-sensei giggled, "Hold your horses! I still have to explain what this ga- I mean, uhh, important message means!"

Kotone spoke up, "I have a theory."

Her sensei crossed her arms, "Go on ahead, then."

The pale girl explained, "It is the principal written by the Hokage, made to be kept in the mind of chunin. Heaven, in this message, means one's mind. Earth means one's body. Thus, combining such powers would make a chunin. If you do not have knowledge, seek it. If you do not have strength, seek it. This is the secret of man, the word imprinted inside the scroll. With the powers of the mind and body, dangerous missions become safe."

Hanako smiled, "Correct! Now I don't have to explain it! Now that we're all done here.. Are you ready to go to the Exam?"

Hiromi wiped her face once more before nodding, "Yes, Hanako-sensei! I'm... ready."

Maiko flexed again, "Heck yeah, sensei!"

Kotone deadpanned, "Yes, sensei."

"Then let's get the heck outta here!"

* * *

><p>They stood in lines.<p>

The other nine rookies were there, surprisingly.

Also, Kabuto and his team were there.

From left to right, the teams were Ino, Shikamaru, Choji, Kiba, Hinata, Shino, Naruto, Sasuke, Sakura, Neji, Rock Lee, Tenten, Kabuto, his two friends, Gaara, Kankuro, Temari, Kotone, Maiko, and then Hiromi.

**[A/N : I GOT RID OF THE SOUND NIN FOR FANFICTION PURPOSES. OROCHIMARU IS A FLIPPIN' SNAKE. HE WILL FIND A WAY IN WITH DIFFERENT TECHNIQUES. THANK YOU AND GOODBYE.]**

Hiromi was shaking nervously.

Maiko was tapping her feet impatiently.

Kotone stood deathly still, her pure white eyes looking straight ahead of her.

In front of them were the Hokage, and multiple other jounin.

Hanako-sensei was smiling delicately at them.

She waved her small feminine hand and Maiko rolled her eyes.

"Congratulations on passing the second exam!" the purple-haired examiner, Anko, said loudly.

Her voice echoed away and a heavy silence ensued.

Maiko smirked, "This doesn't look too hard."

Hiromi's teeth chattered, "Y-yeah.. This means we're one step closer to becoming chunin.. R-r-right, Kotone?"

The impassive girl stared straight ahead, not uttering a single word.

Maiko huffed, "You're not too much cooler than us, ya know! We're your teammates."

Hiromi's knees clacked together, "R-right.."

Anko coughed into her fist before continuing, "You all will now receive an explanation of the third exam from the Hokage."

Maiko groaned, "Again? They just get more and more boring!"

The purple-haired woman glared furiously at the tomboy before turning towards the Hokage and nodding.

She gritted out another final comment, "Everyone listen well."

Maiko smirked.

Hiromi almost melted into a puddle of blonde liquid and drowned in her anxiousness.

Kotone stood deathly still.

The old geezer hobbled towards the students before speaking in a very rough voice.

"The Third Exam will begin," his voice was somewhat altered by the pipe shoved in his mouth, but he continued, "But before we being, there's one thing I'd like to make clear. It's about the true purpose of the exam."

Maiko groaned again, receiving another death glare from Anko.

The Hokage continued.

* * *

><p>It took an entire speech to actually get to the speech needed.<p>

Maiko was surprised this entire nation got anywhere.

After a long moment of everyone being frozen and bored, a red-haired kid beside them (Hiromi thought she recognized him..) deadpanned, "I don't care. Tell me the details of this exam."

The geezer coughed roughly before pulling his hat down stylishly, "Alright, I will now begin the explanation of the Third Exam.. But first," he stopped and magically, a man with a girly haircut appeared in a respective pose.

"Excuse me, Hokage-sama," he said lightly, "I, Gekkou Hayate, the judge, will explain."

The old man nodded, "Go ahead."

Gekkou stood and turned, with an expression almost as lively as Kotone's, "Everyone, it is nice to meet you."

To Maiko's dismay, the man went into a temporary coughing fit before continuing.

Hiromi raised a brow in confusion.

"Everyone.. Before the Third Exam," he continued with a few more coughs, "There's something I want you to do."

Yet again, the man coughed again into his fist.

Maiko snorted, "Dude, just say it."

Hiromi tried to take him seriously, but..

"Fight in some preliminary matches.. to see who gets to fight in the Third Exam's main battle."  
>. . .<p>

"What the (CUUUUUUURSE.)?" Maiko drawled out.

Shikamaru spoke up as well, "Preliminaries? What do you mean?"

A girl from the back (Sakura, Hiromi recognized) spoke, "Sensei, I don't understand what you mean! Why can't we just start?"

Gekkou seemed a bit overwhelmed by the questions, bursting with so much emotion, Maiko believed her eyes were going to burn.

He spoke composedly, "In this case, it's because the First and Second Exam were too easy. There are too many examinees left over. According to the regulations, we must decrease the number of those participating in the Third Exam."

Hiromi gasped.

Maiko tapped her foot impatiently, mumbling, "Can we go now..?"

Another glare from Anko.

(Curse.), that woman has ears like a bat.

Gekkou continued, "As the Hokage mentioned earlier (Aw, snap. Hiromi wasn't listening), there will also be an audience, so we mustn't have too many matches."  
>. . .<p>

He continued despite the fact that no one cared, "And we also has very little time, so those who aren't feeling well.."

Before he could finish, he began to cough violently, causing Hiromi to stare at him numbly.

_He needs to go home and have some tea.._

The ninja composed himself before speaking, "Excuse me. Anyways, those who aren't feeling well enough to battle, or wants to quit, please contact me. The preliminaries will be beginning immediately."

Hiromi wailed, "What? We just now got out of the S-second Exam!"

Maiko growled, "We should at least have some time to recuperate!"

Kotone stood as silent as a rock.

"I am one hundred percent fully capable of battling. You, Sato-san?"

Hiromi shivered from the cold stare, "I-.. I think so! I-.. I hope so."

"Arakawa-san?"

Maiko smirked, "(Curse.) yeah! It doesn't matter how roughed up we are! My leg feels fine and I'm ready to rock!"

The man at the front spoke again, almost hesitant, "Oh, I forgot to mention, that you will be fighting one-on-one matches from now on. So please withdraw if you want."

. . .

"Kotone," Hiromi said in a small voice, "I take it back. I want to go home."

"There is a sixty-two percent chance Arakawa-san will not allow this."

"(Curse.) yeah I won't! We're doing this!"

. . .

"B-but.. I'm not as strong as you guys!"

"I calculate a seventy-seven percent chance that this argument is no longer valid."  
>. . . .<p>

"Listen to Kotone, Hiromi-chan. She's smart."

"Well, I'm not smart! All I do is run and around and get you guys hurt!"

"I estimate a fifty-two percent chance that that situation is less likely, seeing as to how this event is a one-on-one match. Unless you leap into the area of battle, there is a very low chance that you may 'run around and get us hurt'."  
>. . .<p>

"I take back what I said. Shut up, Kotone."  
>. . .<p>

A hand raised in the crowd and Maiko snorted.

Hiromi frowned, "Kabuto-san..?"

"What is this?" asked the Hokage.

A fake smile was plastered upon his face as he said casually, "I'll quit."  
>. . .<p>

Gekkou messed around with his clipboard before coughing out, "You're Konoha's Yukashi Kabuto, right? You may leave."

The silver-haired punk turned and walked away, his blonde friend calling after him.

"Kabuto-san, why are you leaving?"

Maiko leaned towards Hiromi, "You know what this reminds me of..?"

The blonde girl blinked, "What?"  
>. . .<p>

"A man leaving a woman, after a night of love."

The girl with the braid turned as red as blood and turned away, causing Maiko to snicker.

A few adults murmured at the front of the room as the silver-haired ninja with glasses took as much time as possible slithering towards the exit.

Hiromi recovered from her blush and coughed gently, "Umm, Kotone, who do you think you'll be facing?"

The girl spoke blandly and left no room for a response, "I have no data with this matter. Consult me another time on this subject."

After a little while, the anxiety in the room became palpable and Hiromi gulped.

"So, I guess no one else will be leaving?" asked Gekkou.

No one raised their hands so he spoke again, "Well then, let's begin the preliminaries. Like I said, it will be a one-on-one match. It will be real combat. Now that there are exactly twenty of you left, there will be ten matches. The winners will advance to the Third Exam. There are no rules. So you will be fighting until one dies, or collapses, or even forfeits. If you don't want to die, I suggest you leave."  
>. . .<p>

Hiromi gulped down a lump in her throat.

She had so much more to live for..

What if she faced.. Sasuke?

She'd be torn apart!

She would no longer have a future as a ninja, or even a wife or a mom!

She'd be dead.

And what if she faced Neji?

She wouldn't have the willpower to face her.. handsome crush.

The blonde girl glanced at her teammates, and sighed.

She didn't want to disappoint them.

So she kept quiet.

Gekkou deadpanned, "However, if I find that the match is finished, (a cough.) I may stop the battle to prevent any unnecessary deaths. The thing that will hold your destiny, is this."

Anko mumbled something into her microphone, and a part of the wall slid away to reveal a screen.

Hiromi's palms became sweaty with fear.

Maiko crossed her arms and smirked, her sharp teeth showing menacingly.

"This board will randomly pick two contestants for battle," The brunette ninja said, "And without anymore interruptions, I will now display the first match."

. . .

The screen flashed yellow before dialing names, one on top of another, with a sign that meant VERSUS in between.

Maiko gulped.

Hiromi covered her eyes right after seeing her name be flashed upon the board for a moment.

A loud buzzing sound occurred and Hiromi sighed in relief as she peeked at the board.

Sasuke Uchiha versus Akadou Yoroi.

The unfamiliar name must have been one of Kabuto's friends.

Maiko, though reluctant to admit it, was glad it wasn't her.

She had a severe case of stage fright.

Kotone turned stared, analyzing Sasuke before turning back to the front of the room.

He did not look suited for battle, but it was nowhere in her database about him, so she kept silent.

"Those whose names are displayed above, please step forward."

The two obeyed and Hiromi frowned.

"Good luck, Sasuke-kun," she whispered.

She may not have known him personally, but she was just as in love with him when she was girl like Ino and Sakura were now.

"The first match will be between Akadou Yoroi and Sasuke Uchiha. Are there any objections?"

The two responded 'no' at the same time and Sasuke winced in pain.

Maiko snorted, "He's already losing and the battle hasn't even started yet."

"Well then," Gekkou sighed, "The first match will now begin. Everyone else, please move up there, meaning the balcony."

The team of three girls staggered up the stairs and Maiko and Hiromi collapsed at their sensei's feet, ready to nap instead of support Sasuke's match.

To their surprise, Kotone stood completely still, her arms crossed on top of the railing, focused on the match.

"She's practically a robot," Maiko yawned.

As she attempted to lie down, Hanako-sensei kicked her in the head.

"Don't even think about sleeping! You may be up next for all you know."

The green-haired tomboy groaned, "I've been sleeping in dirt all week! The least you can do is let me rest on this rocky, comfortable ground."

The beautiful woman sighed, "I can't believe you idiots. Why can't you guys act like Kotone?"

Hiromi whined, "Because Kotone is super woman! She didn't sleep a wink the entire Second Exam! Or eat!"

Hanako-sensei wrapped her arms around Kotone's neck happily, "That's my student! Working so hard unlike those other two bums!"

The insipid girl spoke hollowly, "I suggest you remove your arms from me. The match is beginning."

The dark-haired beauty nodded, "Oh, of course! Sato-san, Arakawa-san, support your classmates! Come on, sit up!"

The two girls craned their necks, lazily eyeing Sasuke dance around the arena with a kunai.

Maiko booed.

"Boo! Down with the Uchi-OW!"

Hanako-sensei smacked her roughly upside the head, "Shut it, twerp! Support your (curse.) classmates."

Hiromi sweat dropped before sighing.

. . .

How was she going to make it..?

* * *

><p><strong>AN: **

.

.

.

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Hope you guys and gals enjoyed! Please leave feedback and wait patiently for Chapter 15!


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N: Good afternoon! I've been really excited about these recent chapters so I'd like you guys to know that my chapters will be coming out a little sooner! I think. Or at least, I hope so. **

**Thanks to..**

**Reviewers - **

**Tough chick - Awwwww! Thank you! I'm glad you love it :} I hope you love this chapter!**

**bored411 - Hahahahaha! Thank you so much! I would totally get pissed off if people did that all the time o.o And I just had to add that XD Aliens are great. Here's your update! I'm not happy with it, but I kinda am..? I hope you enjoy this chapter!**

**Eternal Cat Moon - Why, thank you :) OMG really? I thought I would get a ton of flames saying something like, "omg you noob don't change it let naruto stay the way it is!" But I didn't! I'm so happy :} I hope you lke this new chapter :) **

**kaefa - OMG. YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL AND YOU KNOW IT. I'm tall and lanky and I have big thighs and uncontrollable black hair and a big nose XD I want you to know that I love you and you're beautiful :}**

**Hahaha~ I'm glad :)**

**Upbeat..? explain :o**

**Awww thank you~! I hope you enjoy this chapter!**

**sandluvr1213 - Aww, thanks :) You're too sweet! LOLOLOL - I HAD TO MENTION THAT cuz i was rewatching these episodes and it LOOKED AND SOUNDED EXACTLY LIKE THAT. And I don't like Sasuke as much I like Itachi so I had to add that, too :) I'll give you hint, if you'd like. If you read this chapter, there's only one more match Kotone could possibly fight ;)**

**I hope you like this chapter!**

**~.~**

**And I think that's it! If I forgot you, I'm really sorry :C **

**~.~**

**I do not own Naruto :)**

**~.~**

**Flames eat paper viciously :c So please, be considerate and careful where you light a candle :D**

**~.~**

**Hope you enjoy this chapter of Puppet and Puppeteer!**

* * *

><p><strong>Hiromi's P.O.V.<strong>

**~.~**

Once, when Hiromi was little, she wanted to become a dancer.

She wanted to prance around a shining stage and gain applause with her ballerina skills.

She would be elegant and beautiful.

But, the dream soon faded.

As the blonde girl began practicing more and more, she discovered just how nerve-racking dance was.

She would have to stand up in front of multitudes of people who adored her..

Hiromi was ashamed when she told her parents of her fear.

They were supportive as usual, but she still had a nagging feeling in her mind that she was a failure.

As she watched Sasuke battle his opponent, not quite paying attention at all, she felt as though she did not have the skill to win.

She.. was too afraid.

Too weak.

To stupid.

She wasn't.. Kotone.

Kotone was someone she deeply admired and respected.

Maybe.. She'd be like her one day?

Impossible.

The girl with the white hair was responsible, smart, and strong.

Hiromi crossed her arms over the top of her knees and closed her eyes.

The sound of the battle disappeared and the girl couldn't help but feel anxious.

What if she was next? What if she was the one who would be destroyed?

What if she died?  
>The girl with the braid nervously buried her head in her knees.<p>

She could vaguely hear some yelling and cheering, but she drowned it out.

_What if I die.. and I don't get to see my family ever again?_

_What if I die.. and I don't ever get to confess my feelings for Neji?_

The girl choked back her tears and lifted her head.

. . .

It looked like the fight was almost over.

She wiped away her vague tears before standing and stretching.

Maiko had gathered up enough strength to stand beside Kotone, who hadn't uttered a single word.

"How did he do?" Hiromi asked politely, yawning cutely into her hand.

Her green-haired teammate yawned as well.

"I guess he did okay. He was getting smoked at first, but then he came back. Sasuke did a pretty awesome finishing move.

I guess he deserved to win."

Hiromi smiled softly, "Oh, I'm glad."

Hanako-sensei spoke up, speaking kindly, "I suppose he's injured, though.. It looks like Kakashi is going to patch him up.. Odd. Kakashi was never good at healing."

Her smallest student grinned, "Sensei! You've never called him just Kakashi before. Are the two of you friends?"

The beautiful woman leaned back and smirked, "I suppose you could say that. He's actually my boyfriend, but what would you kids know about that?"

Hiromi giggled, "Congratulations, sensei! I'm glad!"

Maiko snorted, "An old hag like you has a boyfriend like Kakashi-sensei? He must be desperate."  
>. . .<p>

She was smacked upside the head, causing her to groan.

"Idiot! I'm a beautiful twenty-one year old woman! Have some respect!"

"I wouldn't say beautiful.."

"M-maiko-chan.."

"SHUT UP! I'm more beautiful than you'll ever be!"

A cough was heard in the arena and the three females turned towards Gekkou.

"If you're done chattering... We will not begin the next match."

. . .

There was no dramatic pause.

No time to ask God for mercy.

The board immediately began flipping through names, causing Hiromi to cover her eyes, peeking through the spots between her fingers.

_Please, Lord.. _

When would those names stop..?

Did she have any hope?

_Spare me._

* * *

><p><strong>P.O.V. change - Maiko<strong>

**~.~**

Fear.

Fear struck the green-haired girl like lightning.

She gripped her chest and blinked a few times to make sure the board was correct.

Did these fools actually want her to get killed?

Maiko's strange eyes quivered.

. . .

Aburame Shino. .

Versus...

Sato Hiromi.

. . .

She feared for her life.

* * *

><p><strong>P.O.V. change - Kiba<strong>

**~.~**

Kiba gripped the railing so hard it dented.

He didn't spare Shino a glance.

His eyes migrated to his childhood friend, Hiromi.

She was numb with fear, being nudged experimentally by her sensei.

Akamaru even barked out his worries.

The brunette trembled.

Not Hiromi..

Not precious Hiromi..

Not the kind, sweet, and considerate Hiromi..

The blonde girl seemed to robotically stomp down the steps, being urged patiently by Gekkou.

When she reached the middle of the arena, her knees were visibly shaking and the noise of her teeth chattering was noticeable.

"Opponents, please step forward."

Shino and Hiromi took a step towards each other.

The boy with the sunglasses seemed hesitant and confused as to why he was facing one of his own childhood friends.

Hiromi's eyes seemed to quiver.

"We will now begin the second match," Gekkou said, all too soon.

Hinata whispered nervously, "I wonder if Hiromi-chan will be okay."

Her teammate answered with his trademark smirk, "Don't worry! She's stronger than she looks."

. . .

Kiba closed his eyes.

. .

_Please... _

_Hiromi.._

_Be careful._

* * *

><p><strong>P.O.V. change - Hiromi<strong>

**~.~**

Fear can sometimes grip you and shake you.

Normally, it attacked Hiromi's stomach, causing butterflies to flutter.

But now?

The fear was palpable and gripped her heart as though she was to fall to the ground and implode.

As Gekkou slowly backed away, time seemed much too fast.

There was too much to take in.

Too much training was needed.

His steps seemed to be too quick and Hiromi almost felt like dropping to the ground and pretending to be injured.

"P-.."  
>Her voice failed her.<p>

"Begin."

. . .

. . .

There was not a single movement as Hiromi attempted to compose herself.

She heard Shino speak in his deep, recognizable voice.

"Hiromi-san.. You can forfeit now if you like. For if you fight me .. You will never be able to fight again. Please retire."

The blonde girl gulped.

Her throat seemed too dry.

Her clothes seemed too dirty.

"I-.."

Her voice seemed too quiet.

She attempted to raise it from a whisper.

"I.. I want to fight. I want.. to do my best, Shino-kun."

Good. Her voice was somewhat audible.

"Please do not hold back."

. . .

Everyone seemed to pause, taking in what the petite blonde had mumbled.

She took a deep breath before straightening herself and getting into formation.

If she was careful, cautious, and prepared, she might be able to counter Shino's bugs.

But.. Shino always waited to see what his opponent had in store.

He was patient and plotting.

He knew everything about her.. It would be challenging for her to ignore the fact that he knows her weaknesses.

"Hiromi-san. Retire."

The blonde girl took a deep breath.

"No, Shino-kun. I won't forfeit because I'm weak. I want to fight and prove my worth."

She flung her hand to the side dramatically, "I want to prove to my team that I'm not deadweight! Shino-kun, I understand that you're worried about me, but.. Please. Do this for me."

The boy pushed his glasses back up to the bridge of his nose before sighing.

"I understand."  
>. . .<p>

The girl yanked out a kunai knife from her pouch.

_I will fight. _

"Remember, Shino-kun.."

She held the weapon out in front of her.

"Don't hold back!"

She charged at the boy, immediately knowing he'll dodge.

Hiromi slashed at him viciously, but cautiously.

One touch and his bugs may find a way to crawl onto her body.

She missed.

Shino leapt backwards, his hands still respectively in his pockets.

He was baiting her.

He was waiting for her to touch him on accident.

_Oh, Shino._

Another slice. Another dodge.

_You have so much more of a chance than me._

Another slash. Another dodge.

_But.. I want to give it my best._

A strategic throw. Another reluctant leap out of the way.

_I want to show my parents that I'm strong._

A slight growl and a vicious charge with another kunai.

_I want to show Hanako-sensei that my training has paid off. _

A cautious duck out of the way, attempting to escape bugs.

_I want to show Kotone that I can do what I set my mind to! That.. I'm worthy of being her friend. _

A kunai almost making contact. A sliver of hope.

_I want to show Maiko that I'm strong! That I'm not a wimp!_

A relentless barrage of kunai swipes. Still no contact.

_I want to show Kiba that I can be a chunin!_

Continuous attacks. Still just dodging. She was lucky she had made it this far.

_I want to show Neji that I exist! And that.. I'm different. _

The blonde girl felt her crush's eyes on her so she anxiously picked up her pace.

Shino whispered to her, "Hiromi-san.. Please don't make me hurt you."

The girl frowned, "It's a match, Shino-kun. Please follow the rules. I don't want this to be unfair."

The bug lover leapt a fair distance backwards before finally yanking his hands out of his pockets and threw his hands forward.

_Here comes the bugs! I better watch out!_

Just as she predicted, the small flying insects came bursting forth from Shino's body.

Immediately, she backed away and ran.

_As long as the bugs don't touch me, I'll be okay._

_But.._

She tossed a glance behind her to see the vicious creatures and Shino himself supplying an army from his sleeves.

_I can't avoid them for long. _

_Perhaps.. I just need to get rid of whoever is getting them! _

_Maybe if I can run long enough, I can attack Shino._

_Alright, let's give it a try!_

The blonde girl pranced around the arena before taking hold of her small opportunity and dived at Shino, slashing away with her extra kunai.

_..._

To her surprise, she slashed the bug lover across the arm that he used to shield his face.

_I got him! Yes!_

His bugs seemed to dissipate and Hiromi leapt backwards, cautious of the black dots possibly crawling on her body.

"You've gotten stronger. And faster."

Hiromi grinned, "Thank you. But I'm nowhere near as strong as you."

Shino once more held out his arms, "Of course."

His insect friends flew out faster than earlier and the blonde girl had the dive out of their path to avoid being infested.

"You said not to hold back."

Hiromi snorted playfully, "I'm glad you did as I asked. Now.. Let me show you something I've learned."

The girl quickly made the hand seal, Rabbit, and began spinning in a delicate circle.

Shino stared, his expression unreadable.

His creatures went soaring at the girl, but they were blown away by the small tornado beginning to form.

"Ha no dansu."

_Don't screw this up!_

_Focus solely on your chakra.. Alright.. Slowly disperse. _

As she twirled, the tornado became more violent.

Maiko whooped in the crowd.

Quickly, attempting to throw Shino off guard, Hiromi did a grand jete (a fancy ballerina jump, Maiko thought) out of the tornado, on the right side.

She did a few more twirls before abruptly yanking all of the chakra she could out of her small body.

_This will have to be my final attack! I'm extremely vulnerable to the bugs right about no so I have to have this quick and painful! Sorry, Shino._

Hiromi yanked her arms forward, thrusting them towards Shino, who looked numbly unprepared for the rush of the leaves and wind.

It slammed against him and blood squirted, causing the blonde girl to gasp.

. . .

Only to be tackled to the ground the swarm of bugs.

Now, there are a lot of stereotypical fears for women in the ninja world.

Like, spiders, or fires, or even darkness.

But Hiromi?

She hated insects.

Very stereotypical, but she couldn't stand them and their beady eyes..

Their large, thousands of beady eyes..

So when sacked by a group of insects, there was only one reaction Hiromi could use.

. .

Fainting.

* * *

><p><strong>P.O.V. change - No one <strong>

**~.~**

Everyone waited in suspense.

The dust was so extreme, Maiko coughed.

"Did she win?" She hollered.

Kotone scanned through the smoke and stated, "There is no victor."

Hanako-sensei sighed, "Eh? Poor Hiromi.. That's the strongest I've ever seen her.. Her jutsu was filled with such chakra!"

The smoke dissipated and Gekkou stared at the two unconscious students.

"It seems as though there will be no victor in this match.."

Maiko growled, "Hiromi won! That idiot just decided to send his creeps at her!"

The bugs seemed to have disappeared and simply left a wiped out Shino and Hiromi.

Hanako-sensei placed her hand on Maiko's shoulder, "It's over, brat. She lost. They both did."

The tomboy waved the hand away, "But what happens now?"

Kotone deadpanned, "Sato-san and Aburame-san will be sent to recover. The matches will continue."

A few nin dressed in all white approached the blonde and her opponent, placing them on separate stretchers and jogging out of the arena.

Maiko eyed Kiba.

He looked.. relieved.

. . .

Gekkou coughed roughly, "We will now continue into the next match!"

* * *

><p><strong>P.O.V. change - Hiromi<strong>

**~.~**

The girl awoke with a start, yelping in shock and fear as she realized that she blacked out.

She attempted to sit up, but pain screamed in her entire upper body and she fell back down.

Hiromi blinked.

_I failed._

. . .

The tears held in for so long spilled.

_I failed! I couldn't beat him! I failed because I'm so weak!_

The sobs escaped her throat and the petite genin wrapped herself in a ball.

"Hiromi-san."  
>. . .<p>

Her blue eyes were quivering and seemed more like huge orbs.

She looked up at Shino, who was lying in the hospital bed beside her.

Hiromi covered her face.

_I'm such an idiot. _

_Not only have I lost, but also I'm crying in front of him._

Her tears were noticeable, seeing as to how she now had a damp area on her arms and legs.

Her voice was trembling, "I'm so sorry, Shino-kun.. I've completely humiliated myself and I hurt you.."

She didn't see the small frown on Shino's face.

"You did not fail, Hiromi-san."

The blonde girl paused.

. . .

_I didn't fail..? _

. . .

"Your new technique hit me directly.. You would have won if I hadn't sent my bugs after you."

Hiromi looked up quickly, her tears no longer pouring from her eyes.

Shino sat up.  
>. . .<p>

"Why, you ask? Because I collapsed soon after you."

The girl with braid (actually, it must have fallen out during her battle because her hair fanned around her) numbly sat up correctly, ignoring the small bites stinging.

She crossed her arms on top of her knees and she choked out a sob.

Shino, obviously confused, but attempting not to show it, sat silently.

. . .

_I defeated him.. _

_I did my best.. _

_I may have lost, but.._

. . .

Hiromi cried with a smile.

* * *

><p><strong>P.O.V. change - No one<strong>

**~.~**

The matches continued, but Maiko and Hanako were still anxious to see Hiromi when she returned.

The girl had been stronger than before and had been thrown into the medical nin's arms because of her multiple, possibly poisonous bug bites and complete exhaustion.

Kotone hadn't shown any sign of worry.

"Well," Maiko sighed, watching the match bellow, "I guess that means our matches are coming up, soon, Kotone."

The pale girl did not acknowledge her.

Her white eyes were studying the battle between Ino and Sakura, a match that Maiko believed wasn't worth watching.

Hanako-sensei frowned, "Looks like the match just ended."

Maiko stretched, "Good! I hate those two. Who won?"

Her beautiful sensei crossed her arms, "Neither of them. They both knocked each other out like Shino and Hiromi."

Kotone didn't blink.

The girl with the messy green hair groaned, "This is so pointless! When is _my_ match?"

Hanako-sensei smacked her in the shoulder, "Just shut up and be patient!"

Gekkou's voice was barely audible, "We will continue to the next match."  
>. . .<p>

The names were picked again and Maiko banged her head against the railing when she discovered it was just Tenten and some girl named Temari.

"I want it to be my match now."

. . .

The tomboy stepped away from the railing and sat down, resting her head upon the hard wall.

She closed her eyes and heard Hanako-sensei scoff.

"Oh, quit jugging, granny. I'm tired and I don't care about this match."

The woman with the dark hair snorted, "Well, too bad. It looks like it isn't going to last long."

Kotone deadpanned, "I estimate a seventy-two percent chance that it will end in the next five minutes. If you plan on getting any sleep, Arakawa-san, I suggest you take it quickly."

Maiko grumbled, "Yeah, yeah, I know."

She stretched and closed her eyes, attempting to drown out the noises of the battle.

. . .

**Murderer. **

. . .

_Shut up! Now isn't the time!_

. . .

_**Don't you remember..?**_

. . .

Maiko opened her odd eyes and stood.

"Never mind. I can't sleep with all this ruckus."

Her sensei smiled softly, "See, Arakawa-san? Now isn't a good time to nap. You need to be awake for your match!"

"The match is over," Kotone said duly.

Temari had apparently won the match with her large, plain fan.

Gekkou spoke after a coughing fit.

"The next match will now commence."

Hanako-sensei patted Maiko on the back.

"This may be your turn, twerp!"

The green-haired tomboy smirked.

The name began flashing.

. . .

. . .

. . .

Nara Shikamaru...

. . .

. . .

Versus Arakawa Maiko.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: **

**. **

**. **

**.**

**.**

**.**

**DUN, DUN, DUNNNN!**

**.**

**.**

**Please look forward to Chapter 16! Please leave feedback, complaints, and comments :}**


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N: .. I woke up early today to watch Legend of Korra. Is that weird?**

**Thanks to..**

**~ Reviewers ~**

**bored411 - Ohhh yeah ;) Here's the next chapter! I hope you aren't disappointed and you enjoy it :)**

**animegirl3774 - LOLOLOL calm down! Here's the next update XD I hope you like it! Yeah, it's Kiba x Hiromi, Shikamaru x Maiko, and Sasuke x Kotone x Gaara. It's confusing, but it will all come together eventually :) **

**Enjoy :)**

**indescribable music - Here you are, dear :) Fresh outta Microsoft Word. Hope ya enjoy!**

**MaoIsSleepy () - Yeah, I wanted to make sure she fought hard, but she really would've gotten squashed in the final matches XD Why thank you :) If you were a cliffhanger, you'd be nice, too!**

**Hope you enjoy this chapter :)**

**Eternal Cat Moon - Awww, thank you :') I'm confident that this chapter.. will be DECENT!**

**She really does. She will eventually get it, don't worry. I was kinda contemplating making her a medical nin, but I don't know.. I don't want her to come out like Sakura, but blonde.. (INO.)**

**Maybe.. genjutsu? Idk. **

**Anyways, I hope you enjoy this update c:**

**sandluvr1213 - Aww~! I'm glad you enjoyed it! Yeah, Hiromi is a little scared and wants to confront her weaknesses, but she just can't handle the pressure :) And I really love Shino - he's such a sweetie. **

**Anyways, I hope you enjoy!**

**kaefa - Aww, thank you c:**

**Yeah, she really is. I guess she kinda deserves what's coming.. Tehehehehe.. **

**o_o you liked it..? THANK YOU!**

**Thank you so much! I think Shino is the cutest and sweetest thing XD **

**Hope you enjoy!**

**~ Favoritings ~**

**EmylynnFae - Thank you :3**

**Phantomhive's tabby cat - OMG YOUR USERNAME IS SO GREAT. I love Black Butler :) Especially Sebastian..**

**ilovebrownies - ooooh. i love brownies :)**

**~ Alerts ~**

**EmylynnFae - Thank you so much! I hope you enjoy this chapter :)**

**only to forget - THANK YOU.**

**Okurah - I love fried okra.**

* * *

><p><strong>Alright! I think that's all! I hope all of you enjoy this new chapter!<strong>

**Also, if I forgot you, I'm so sorry. I just watched Legend of Korra so I'm like, "WATER BENDING HYAHH." **

**OMG, please tell me I'm not the only one who plays Waterbender when I'm at the pool!  
><strong>

**PLEASE!**

**Ahem. Anyways.**

* * *

><p><strong>~ Disclaimer ~<strong>

**Do people, like.. check if authors have these..? **

**I mean, I know I don't own Naruto, but.. I mean.. really, dudes?**

* * *

><p><strong>P.O.V. - Maiko<strong>

**~.~**

It must have been planned.

Maybe all the chunin and jounin got together and decided this prank.

She stood ever so still, frowning.

"Nara Shikamaru.. Versus Arakawa Maiko."

She read experimentally.

Hanako-sensei smacked her on the back, "This is what you've been waiting for, right? Go on ahead."

The tomboy stumbled down the steps and walked to Gekkou.

There stood Shikamaru.

His hands were shoved naturally in his pockets and he was avoiding eye contact with her.

Maiko could vaguely hear Ino cheering.

. . .

_Whore._

. . .

Gekkou slowly backed away.

"Ready? This is the sixth match, Nara Shikamaru, and Arakawa Maiko. Begin."

. . .

. . .

"Well, ain't this a surprise, eh, Shika?"

The lazy genin moving his eyes from the ceiling to his best friend's face.

He replied with a bored voice, "This is gonna be such a drag.."

Maiko cracked her knuckles and backed up.

"I'll be sure to end it quick, pal!"

She charged forward, secretly yanking her small needles in place, between each knuckle.

Shikamaru seemed to be completely prepared.

_He's probably already got the next five hundred moves planned.. I've got to be careful of his shadow jutsu!_

The green-haired girl slashed and punched at Shikamaru, but he blocked with a kunai.

"You can't dodge me forever!" She hissed.

The boy kept his game-face on.

Suddenly, he leapt backwards and began performing certain hand seals that Maiko recognized immediately.

"You think you can trick me with your little shadow games?" She snorted.

She jumped backwards roughly and watched as the umbra charged at her.

When it got too close, she backed up again.

_He's testing me. Trying to make me remember all the times we've battled before. I can't let him win. I have to pass. I have to._

. . .

_He's analyzing me, _Maiko thought, watching Shikamaru as he yanked his shadow back towards himself.

"Stop trying to figure out the situation! Stop thinking.. And act!"

Maiko ran towards him again, not examining her surroundings.

The boy performed quick hand seals, but they weren't quick enough.

The tomboy punched at him, revealing a row of sharp needles.

Shikamaru frowned, "Those are new."

They continued to punch and dodge, keeping on a conversation.

"Ah, thank you for noticing. I've been," Maiko took another punch, "practicing more nowadays."

Her best friend dodged it and took an attack of his own with a kunai, "Oh? How irksome. All we do is drink tea and have food."

The girl with the odd eyes leaned backwards to avoid being sliced and punched at him again, catching a piece of his shirt, "Eh? Are you complaining about not doing work? You are so UNGRATEFUL!"

She took another swipe at him and Shikamaru and he staggered back.

_Shika isn't good at close combat._

_Neither am I.. I should try and be as close as possible._

Maiko whipped out more needles before running towards her friend.

"Get ready.. 'Cause I'm not holding back!"

She practically had a limitless amount of needles.

Her cousin had practically prepared her for all of the battles that could ever happen.

Including a battle against a genius.

Maiko came as close as she possibly could (without being too close) and began throwing her needles.

"This is a technique I learned from Kotone," She explained, still tossing needles at an increasingly alarming rate, "She used her own chakra and since I ain't so great with chakra manipulation, I decided I'd use Dai's senbon needles. So, how are you liking it so far?"

She could already tell that the boy was having trouble.

Shikamaru ducked and dodged and didn't have time to think about what to do as needle after needle came soaring towards him.

"Shut up," He sighed.

Maiko barked out a laugh, continuously providing needles.

_If I can make a clone, I can send her to knock Shikamaru out while I stay here and try and throw my needles..._

"Gah!"

The tomboy performed some quick hand signs, attempting not to look a little guilty about the blood on Shikamaru's arm and leg.

"Shadow clone jutsu!"

Two perfect twins of Maiko appeared and charged at the genius.

The original stayed behind, keeping her needles ready at her knuckles.

The first clone attempted to punch Shikamaru, who promptly dodged and kicked her to the ground.

She disappeared with a puff of smoke.

The second kicked and punched and swiped at him.

Maiko took a step forward.

. .

But failed.

_What the.. ? _

She looked down and cursed loudly.

_(Curse.)! How did he..?_

The second clone was destroyed and there stood Shikamaru, with a smug, tired expression.

"How..?" Maiko asked, mimicking his movements as he ripped out some needles from his body.

The genius stretched momentarily before explaining, "At first, I knew it would be impossible to catch you while moving so quickly, so I waited. But when you summoned those two clones, their shadows made mine longer, and faster. Also, each needle that missed me stabbed the ground and created more shadows. Honestly, Maiko.. I'm surprised you didn't notice. It was so obvious..."

The girl with the eyes similar to ripples of water frowned, "Don't mock me, twerp. So, now that you've got me trapped, what are you going to do?"

Shikamaru pulled out a shuriken from his pouch, his victim copying this action.

"We're going to play Chicken, like the good-ole' days."

It was true.

When the two were younger they'd sneak kunai from genin and play this exact game.

They'd always get caught and get in trouble..

Maiko barked out a laugh, "Shika.. That's the most ridiculous idea ever! I'm copying your movements. If you plan on living, you might not want to."

The boy smirked as he threw the shuriken.

. . .

The green-haired girl looked away from the incoming weapon and to the balcony.

. .

Was that..?

. . .

A familiar, braid-less blonde stood beside Kotone with a worried expression.

. . .

"Hir-!"

* * *

><p><strong>P.O.V. change - No one<strong>

**~.~**

Hiromi and Hanako-sensei cringed as Maiko was forced to smack her head on the wall behind her, causing her eyes to spin.

She promptly collapsed.

The boy she was facing, Shikamaru, stood back up from his backbend and sighed.

Ino cheered from the balcony.

The genius walked to his unconscious best friend and spoke in a smug voice.

Hanako didn't like it.

Hiromi didn't either.

"The wise shinobi examines his surroundings, Maiko."

Hanako-sensei leapt into the arena and threw her student over her shoulder roughly.

She smiled politely at Shikamaru, "Congratulations, Nara-san! You knocked out your best friend!"

Her voice, sounding chilling and almost as evil as the boy's mother's, caused him to cringe.

Gekkou coughed roughly, "The winner of the match is Nara Shikamaru."

Ino cheered loudly, but Hiromi crossed her arms, watching as her sensei dropped the girl roughly on the ground.

The blonde knelt down and swept some stray, short green hairs out of Maiko's face.

"You did great," She whispered, "you deserved to win."

The tomboy groaned and rolled onto her side, causing Hiromi to smile softly, her extremely long hair framing her face and giving her a doll-like appearance.

Hanako-sensei laid a delicate hand on her shoulder, "Let her rest. She fought a hard battle."

The blonde genin nodded before standing and walking to Kotone's side, glancing behind her multiple times to ensure her safety and comfort.

* * *

><p><strong>P.O.V. change - Hiromi<strong>

**~.~**

The matches continued, and Hiromi happily cheered for her friends.

When it came to Naruto and Kiba's battle, she clapped and encouraged the both of them.

Later on, she would admit to whooping louder for Kiba.

In the next match, Neji and Hinata went against each other.

Naturally, the blonde rooted for Hinata more than Neji, but secretly she cheered for him as well.

After that match, was Sabukku no Gaara versus Rock Lee.

Hiromi really liked Rock Lee.

He was kind and considerate, and he was very sweet to her.

Gaara..?

Was terrifying.

As they fought ruthlessly, Hiromi prayed that Rock Lee was careful.

. .

The girl with the large blue eyes couldn't help but harbor a hate for Sabukku no Gaara.

For some odd reason, the battle invoked a reaction in Kotone.

The pale girl, who seemed to not have moved the entire match, twitched and removed her arms from the railing.

She backed up, looking as though she had just thought of something, then went right back to her original position.

It aroused an odd expression on Hanako-sensei's and Hiromi's faces, but they kept silent and continued to watch the match.

. . .

The second Rock Lee screamed in pain as his limbs were crushed, the sweet blonde girl yelped.

"Rock Lee-san!"  
>The boy fell to the ground and the girl slammed her hands over her mouth.<p>

_Rock Lee.._

Sand from Gaara began to crawl over the boy's body and Hiromi squealed.

Luckily, Gai-sensei saved his student just in time.

The petite genin noticed that even Hanako-sensei had tensed, ready to pounce and save the boy if Gai was not quick enough.

Hiromi wiped some tears away from her eyes and continued to watch, all the while pretending not to notice Kotone's continuous twitching.

* * *

><p><strong>P.O.V. change - Kotone <strong>

**~.~**

The boy with a black hair lost.

Sabukku no Gaara won.

The chances of Rock Lee winning this match were extremely low.

Kotone anticipated his loss and was unfazed when his blood was shed.

As the medical team spoke with Rock Lee's sensei, the girl with the perfectly straight white hair analyzed whom she would be facing.

. . .

Choji Akimichi.

The large one.

Percentages, strategies and ethics of how to defeat the chubby human immediately typed through her mind.

She did not care about her teammate's sudden sobs.

She did not care about Maiko, still recovering with a long nap.

She did not care about Hanako, who was checking her nails while attempting to sneak glances at Gai with a flinch of worry.

"The tenth and final match, will begin. Fighters, please come down."

Kotone slipped out of her spot (which had become colder with her lack of body heat) and walked slowly to the arena.

The ground was cracked and damaged from the earlier battles, but the conditions did not affect the girl, or the boy in front of her that looked twice her size.

**This will be an easy kill, my pet.**

Gekkou coughed loudly before mumbling, "The final match.. Begin."  
>. . .<p>

"Do your best!" Shikamaru Nara yelled from the crowd.

His teammate, Ino Yamanaka cheered as well, "Yeah, fatty!"

Choji Akimichi growled, "Ugh! Once I get this battle over with, I'm going to beat them to a pulp!"

Kotone deadpanned, "I gauge a eighty-two percent chance that the previous statement made by Ino Yamanaka is true. I suggest you learn to take the truth."  
>. . .<p>

The arena fell silent, except for the loud yawns of Maiko, who had finally decided to wake up.

Choji Akimichi roared with anger, "What'd you say, you little shrimp?"

Kotone replied as emotionlessly as before, "I estimate a ninety-one percent chance that you have heard what I spoke. I suggest you take this more seriously before I kill you."

She twisted her arms gracefully in a delicate dance.

Her teammates must have recognized it because Hiromi Sato tossed a worried glance to Choji.

Kotone then performed an unknown hand seal and thrust it forward, watching calmly as her 'big-boned' opponent rolled towards her blindly.

"Kaze no ha."  
>An extremely powerful slice of wind slashed at Choji and he was sent flying backwards.<p>

His enlarged form seemed to deflate like a balloon as he attempted to stand back up.

Kotone approached him slowly, and stood right in front of him.

Then, she punched him.

Directly in the face.

. . .

. . .

And he went soaring directly back into the wall.

Kotone calculated quickly in her as she stepped closer to drag him out of his pathetic crushed position and kill him.

**Yes, my pet.. Kill him. **

**Send me his soul..**

She reached forward and grabbed his scarf, flinging him back into the arena, causing him to smash his face against the already damaged floor.

"I estimate a one hundred percent chance that this next jutsu will kill you. Will you forfeit, Choji Akimichi?"

The chubby boy attempted to speak, but instead blood dripped from his mouth.

"If you do not answer immediately, it is most likely that your answer will be yes."

Choji lifted his head, then placed it back down on the ground.

Not a single scratch was laid on Kotone.

Gekkou stated duly, "The winner is Kotone."

The pale girl looked down at the beaten up, overweight genin, before going back up onto the balcony.

* * *

><p><strong>P.O.V. change - No one <strong>

**~.~**

After what felt like hours of a long nap, Maiko woke up to realize that not only had she lost, but Choji was about to, as well.

She scratched the back of her head and watched Kotone beat the snot out of her friend before clapping vaguely and yawning.

When the lifeless girl came back to the balcony to her team, Hiromi congratulated her on winning.

"You did great, Kotone!" She said with a grin.

Maiko groaned, "Can we leave now?"

Hanako-sensei smacked her upside the head, "No, you idiot! Wait for the announcement!"

The boring man that had been making the announcements so far, began to speak, "That concludes the preliminary matches! Those who won, please come forward."  
>. . .<p>

"To those who won their matches, congratulations. All but one are here."

Hiromi smiled softly at Kotone.

_I'm glad that at least one of us did well._

Maiko stretched lazily.

_(Curse.).. that should be me up there.. Not Shikamaru._

Kotone was, as usual, motionless.

"Your main matches will be shown in front of everyone. We wish that all of you show your abilities as your country's representative fighter. So, the Third Exam will be held in one month," The Hokage mumbled.

"Wait, so we aren't fighting right here, right now?" Naruto asked.

The old man responded, "The one month period will allow the appropriate preparations to be made. In other words, we are to invite the feudal lords and ninja of the individual countries to come and see the final matches. And at least a month is needed to gather these people. This is also necessary training time for you candidates."

Maiko whooped, "Yeah, Kotone! Down with the Uchi-OW!"

Once again, she was smacked, her mouth covered by Hiromi's hand.

"P-please be quiet, Maiko-chan.."

The Hokage coughed and glared at the two girls before continuing, "This time is to be used wisely. This one-month will allow you to train and become stronger in order to overpower your opponents. It will give you time to analyze the information you have learned here and put it to use. These battles are exactly like real combat. It was done as though you knew nothing of your opponent. But the main matches will not be like that. Those who have revealed everything to their rivals will be at a disadvantage. Use this one-month period wisely to study and perfect your fighting skills."

Hiromi smiled softly, "I guess this means now it's time to leave?"

Maiko nodded, "Hopefully. I'm exhausted."

Hanako-sensei growled, "You just slept for at least six hours.. Selfish brat."

The Hokage yet again glared at the girls before speaking.

"I would like to let you leave, but there is something extremely important we must do before the main matches."

Naruto groaned, "What? I want to hurry and train!"

Kotone spoke as well, "I calculate a ninety-one percent chance, Hokage-sama, that if we were to be released now, we would receive a two percent possibility of becoming stronger, sooner."

The old man with the red hair coughed, "Don't get hasty. Take a piece of paper from Anko."

The woman walked by each candidate, Kotone slipping her hand into the box and gently wrapping her fingers around a piece.

"Take just one."

She opened the folded paper.

Eight.

Ibiki stood near Anko's side holding a clipboard, "Now, everyone tell me your numbers, starting from the left."

"Eight," Kotone deadpanned.

"One."

Naruto.

"Five."

The girl from the Sand.

"Seven."  
>The boy from the Sand with the... puppet.<p>

"Three."

Sabukku no Gaara.

"Six."

Shikamaru.

"Two."

Neji.

"Sasuke must be four, then."

Ibiki flipped through his clipboard.

"We will now tell you the match-ups for the Third Exam!"

Naruto yelled, "What?"

The Hokage seemed to smirk, "Ibiki, show them the match-ups."

Kotone watched, analyzing as the man with the scars turned his clipboard around, showing a chart.

Naruto versus Neji.

Sasuke versus Gaara.

Kotone versus Kankuro.

Temari versus Shikamaru.

Hiromi gulped, worriedly glancing at her teammate.

_Isn't Kankuro the boy that Kotone tried to..?_

Maiko crossed her arms.

"Hmm."

Shikamaru raised him hand, "I have a question. There's only one spot at the top, so.. Only one winner, right? Does these mean that only one person can become a chunin?"

The Hokage replied, "No, that's not quite how it is. These matches will have judges, such as me and the Kazekage, and many feudal lords. They will all be potential clients. These people will judge you by your performance in the tournament. Those who are qualified to be a chunin, even if they lose, will become chunin."

The girl from the Sand Village spoke up, "So that means that there's a possibility that all of us here could become chunin?"

The old man smirked, "Yes, but there's also a chance that no one will become a chunin. Winning only means you can show off more. Do you understand, Shikamaru?"

The lazy boy looked off with a bored expression.

Maiko smirked.

Hanako-sensei glared at the tournament chart.

Hiromi smiled softly, "Good luck, Kotone."

The Hokage crossed his arms respectively, "That is all. We are adjourned until next month."

* * *

><p><strong>P.O.V. change - Hiromi<strong>

**~.~**

After exiting the large building, the blonde girl immediately went to Shino to apologize.

She bowed politely, "I'm sorry for hurting you, Shino-kun! I hope you're not too injured."

The bug lover stared at her through his glasses before slightly returning the bow.

"I should be apologizing as well. I accidentally had my bugs eat some of your hair."

Hiromi waved her hand nonchalantly, "It's fine. Its just hair. It'll grow back."

The girl turned towards Kiba, who was standing nearby with a frown.

"How are you feeling, Kiba? You fought well out there."

The boy smirked slightly, "I guess. I still lost, though. You did pretty awesome yourself, Hiromi! You almost beat Shino."

The boy with the glasses stayed silent, eventually disappearing as Hiromi and Kiba conversed.

"I was wondering if you wanted to come with me to visit Hinata? She's recovering right now."

The blonde girl nodded, "Oh, that'd be great! I hope she's alright!"

Akamaru barked at her and she smiled.

"Oh, who am I kidding? Hinata is very strong - she'll be fine!"

* * *

><p><strong>P.O.V. change - Maiko<strong>

**~.~**

The green-haired girl stood, laxly leaning on the side of a building.

She knew that Shikamaru and his team were approaching.

She turned towards them with a signature smirk.

"Oh, look! It's midori wa baka o hikii," Ino frowned.

Maiko crossed her arms, "You sure did suck out there, Choji."

The chubby boy popped a chip into his mouth.

"Who cares. I get barbeque!"

The green-haired girl smiled, "I was wondering if I could come with you guys! Dai is probably off somewhere on a mission."

Shikamaru said in a bored tone, "Sure. Come on."

Maiko frowned at him, "You did pretty good, Shika. Knocking me out like that."

The boy crossed his arms behind his head, "You should have been paying attention to your surroundings, Mai."

The girl with the odd eyes hissed, "At least I took the battle seriously!"

Shikamaru sighed, "You're so troublesome."

Maiko rolled her eyes (an odd visual), "Let me guess, the match was just a drag, hmm?"

The genius nodded.

"Idiot. I'm hungry ; where is this place?"

* * *

><p><strong>P.O.V. change - Kotone<strong>

**~.~**

She went straight home.

She ignored anyone trying to make conversation with her, and she went to her apartment.

It was left the same way it had been all those days ago.

Kotone walked in, placing her geta on the floor, and walked around the rooms.

There was nothing missing, but there was something new.

There was a gift sitting on her bed, wrapped perfectly in royal purple paper.

The girl peeled the wrapping off before staring at the box with a blank expression.

**A gift for you, pet.. I hope we can meet again, soon.**

. . .

_Is this some kind of sick joke, you monster?_

**You should leave before I kill you and seal you away, again..**

Kotone opened the box.

. .

It was a completely black tiara, seemingly smashed and roughed up.

. . .

She collapsed in excruciating pain.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:**

**.**

**.**

**.**

**.**

**I hope you're looking forward to chapter.. 17? Haha.. ha.. **

**.. WATER BEND! HYA!**


	17. Chapter 17

**A/N: Sorry I took so long, ladies and gentlemen~! I've been very lazy lately.. **

**Haha..**

**Oh, by the way, this is somewhat of a filler chapter, but it's sorta .. not? **

**I hope ya'll aren't disappointed. **

* * *

><p><strong>Anyways! Thanks to..<strong>

**Reviewers~**

Animefangirl95 - Good Heavens.. Alright.. Here I go XD

Chapter One - Thank you! Creepy is good, dear.. It's good.. *Creepy laughter*

Chapter Two - Yeah, it sorta had that concept :)

Chapter Three - O_o I don't even remember what happened in this chapter. But thank you XD

Chapter Four - Yeah, she's sorta sad :( But .. I'll let you in on a secret.. She'll be happy one day :)

Chapter Five - You'll find out one day! I promise! And yeah, they are both adorable :)

Chapter Six - REALLY? OMG THAT IS SO SWEET

Chapter Seven - Awww, thanks! I thought it would be seen as serious.. but cute is good, too :)

Chapter Eight - Yeah.. It's all a apart of the story, though ;) Thank you very much, dear~!

Chapter Nine - Mmmhmm. Me too. I'd fail completely.

Chapter Ten - Yeah, he really is XD I'm hoping that's not too out of character for him .. OHHHYEAAAHH! They be winnin' all dem girls.

Chapter Eleven - .. Did you even review this one..? I can't remember :')

Chapter Twelve - Thank you so much XD And yes, I suppose he does :o

Chapter Thirteen - MMMHMM X) He's a little hero

Chapter Fourteen - Yeah, I don't really like cussing.. I have no idea what i'm gunna do when I reach Hidan.. XD Awww! Thank you! All of them love you, too :) Except for Kotone.. She's incapable of love :/

Chapter Fifteen - .. This review made me laugh XD

Chapter Sixteen - YES. I LOVE THE LEGEND OF KORRA! Bolin makes me laugh :} I love him. But, in all honesty, I like Tahno a lot.. I'm such a weirdie XD Sorry for the long wait! I hope you enjoy this really bad chapter!

animegirl3774 - Yeah, I know.. I'm a really slow updater.. I'm sorry XD I LOVE answering questions! I love you, too, girl :) Hopefully you're a girl.. That username is very misleading if not XD Hope you enjoy this chapter, love!

sandluvr1213 - OMG. ME TOO. I LOVE IT. SO MUCH. I missed it last Saturday.. But I watched it online :) Idk why but I just feel incomplete without being there at 10 in the morning to watch that one episode. Makes me feel like a real fan when I'm actually there :c Kotone is, honestly, not going to do much during the break. I'm trying to decide whether or not to just put some nice fillers, like this one, but that just seems lame. Kankuro may or may not forfeit. It really depends on what music is playing when I'm typing XD NO joke, i'm serious. I'm glad you liked this chapter ;) I hope you enjoy this one as well!

suzie1107 - I can't tell you that, love /3 :c I'm sorry. Yeah, my girls ain't deadweight! I'm trying to make them prove that they aren't little sissies like Ino- I mean, err, people. Aww, thank you :) Hiromi admires her because she's so emotionless, and stays focused. OMG I AM SO SORRY. I KEEP MEANING TO ADD HIM IN THE CHAPTERS BUT HE JUST DOESN'T FIT ANYWHERE. HE'S LIKE AN AWKWARD PENGUIN. YOU DON'T FIT ANYWHERE, YOU TURD. Lolololol. Yeah. I'm sorry. Hope you enjoy this chapter :)

MaoIsSleepy () - LOLOLOLOLOL. Am I, like, the only one who is completely in love with Tahno? If they get rid of him, I have no idea how I'm going to move on. Anyways, yeah, I can't reveal too much about him around this time :c I've already shown ya'll too much.. Hehehe :) Hope you enjoy this chapter! I love you!

moreaticcandy - I do...? Well, I'm very glad! How did you find my story..? :o when I look for fanfiction I look at the summary.. and mine isn't all that good XD Ahem, anyways. Thank you very much :) I really want each of them to have their own, unique personalities. No Mary Sues. Kotone's past is very confusing. Even I am having some trouble twisting it around to make logical sense XD Sasuke and Gaara won't be really playing romantic roles for a while, but hopefully none of ya'll will be offended and leave me.. o_o. Maiko's past is a little more simple, but have somewhat the same concept as Kotone's. Hiromi is going to slowly develop into what I call the 'Princess' character. She's going to go from a noisy little kid to a beautiful, confident young woman :) Good Lord, these replies are getting longer and longer everyday.. Haha XD Sorry. Hope you enjoy this chapter 3

AmmyChey3X - Thank you so much! You're awesome, too, you know :) Yeah, she's a little cray-cray... And so is Dai XD I hope you like this chapter!

bored411 - lololol. I'm sorry to disappoint, but yeah, nothing happens XD Her final match.. I don't mean to brag.. but hopefully it's gunna be pretty good :) Here's your update! I hope you enjoy!

kaefa - Awww, thank you :) But I get stared at by kids.. They're probably thinking, "What is this chic doing..?" But I'm glad I have a buddy c: Sentence..? Her loss, you mean? :o Hiromi would've been killed if I let her win :) So I did her a favor. Kotone SHALL been in action! One day! XD Hope you enjoy!

indescribable music - Here it is :) Hope you enjoy~

Eternal Cat Moon - I wish I could give you another hint, but yeah.. I can't :C But you'll find out eventually :D I hope you like this chapter!

Pein's Kid - I love your username. I love it. I'm glad you like it :) I hope you like this chapter, too!

**Alerts!**

Pein's Kid - THANK YOU!

Animefangirl95 - Thank you very much!

suzie1107 - :3 Thanks.

moreaticcandy - Thank you for alerting!

HylianCats - OMG. I love your username. Thank you XD

AmmyChey3X - :D Thanks, girl! Or boy.

ALittleDoom - :0 .. Thank you, Mrs./Mr. Doom.

a Wiccan - What the heck is a Wiccan XD Thanks anyways, dude/dudette.

**Favoritings***

**Good Lord.. These are getting longer and longer XD**

Pein's Kid - .. I love your name, still.

1-800-spikeit - Spike as in volleyball...? (Thanks for favoriting :D)

6Fortius9 - .. Sixty-nine.. Teehee.. I mean, err, thank you!

NinjaOfTheDream - You know, one time I had a dream with Snow from FF13. And the moon chic from The World Only God Knows.. Err, Thank you.

Animefangirl95 - I'm an anime fan, too :3 Thank you for reading and stuff~!

suzie1107 - .. Is your name really suzie..? That'd be awesome.

moreaticcandy - More.. Eat.. I.. Ccandy? .. What?

HylianCats - SUCH AN AWESOME NAME.

AmmyChey3X - .. Do you guys ever read these messages that I leave? I'm beginning to think I scare you off..

Fallen Prince-sama - LET ME LOVE YOU.

* * *

><p><strong>!SPOILER FOR FMA BROTHERHOOD AHEAD!<strong>

**!-!-!-!**

**Omg, I need to tell ya'll this. I watched FullMetal Alchemist Brotherhood, and I saw Envy's death, and and and and .. I cried. **

**I loved him. **

**No joke. **

**I thought we were, like, meant to be. **

**And then, he had to go and die.**

**I paused the episode, cried, watched his death again, then cried again.**

**I was devastated. **

**Anyways, those who review will me my friend who found me in my room crying and comforted me by buying me cake. **

**Those who flame.. Will be my brother who made fun of me for crying :c**

**. . .**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

><p><strong>P.O.V. - Maiko<strong>

**~.~**

"Dai! I'm home!"

The green-haired girl tossed her shoes to the ground and stumbled into her home.

"MAI! How was it?"

The chunin rushed at his cousin and tackled her into a hug.

Maiko huffed, "Get off! I'm not a chunin! I didn't pass."

Daisuke smiled, "It doesn't matter if you're not a chunin! Was it scary? Who did you fight?"

The lanky teenager stood, prying her cousin off of her and cracking her knuckles.

"I fought Shikamaru for the Third Exam. I lost."

The young man with the light brown hair frowned, "Well, I guess that kind of stinks, doesn't it..? But Shikamaru is a genius ; I guess in a way he deserves a chance."

Maiko sighed, "I guess."

She was about to go up the stairs to sleep, but her guardian stopped her.

"Don't you want to eat?"

The tomboy shook her head, "Nah, I already ate with Shika and Choji."

Daisuke grinned, "Okay. Go on and get some rest."

Maiko nodded before stumbling up the stairs to her room.

She entered her domain and closed the door softly behind her.

There were clothes and weapons and toys spread equally throughout the room.

The lanky girl carefully tiptoed to her bed and sighed.

Her covers were strewn across the surrounding area and Maiko bent over to pick them up.

After gathering her blankets, she leapt into her bed and wrapped her covers around herself.

Not even bothering to change into pajamas, she closed her eyes and fell quickly into a deep sleep.

**. . .**

* * *

><p><strong>. . .<strong>

Almost too abruptly, Maiko appeared in a dream.

Her friends and her only family, Daisuke, surrounded her.

She smiled.

"Hey, everyone!"

Her voice sounded as though she was so far away..

"Why does everybody look so sad..?"

Her friends ignored her and Daisuke laid on the ground, his face hidden by his hair.

"Dai? Wake up! Yo! Dai!"

Maiko knelt down and rolled him over.

She screamed.

There was a multitude of needles stuck in his chest.

Blood was everywhere.

His eyes were completely blank, looking off into space.

His ponytail must've come undone because his hair was covering some of his face and was beautifully flowing.

"Dai! Dai! Are you okay? Wha-What happened? Who did this?"

The lanky tomboy cradled her cousin in her arms, sobbing.

She screamed at those surrounding her, looking up and away.

"What's wrong with you freaks? Can't you see he needs help!"

Maiko stood, carefully laying her cousin on the ground, and punched at Choji.

Her fist went through his skull.

"What the-?"

"Yo! Choji! Somebody!"

The girl backed away.

"H-hello..?"

"**You want to know who did this..?**"

Maiko spun around.

No one.

"Hello? Who's here?"

"**Foolish girl.. Look below your feet.**"

The green-haired girl slowly looked down.

. .

It was.. water?

Her reflection wasn't normal.

This woman had longer green hair, crazier eyes, and an insane grin with sharp teeth.

Her face was painted with splotches of blood.

"W-who are you! Are you the one who killed Daisuke?"

Maiko panicked.

The woman spoke.

"**I am the one who killed Dai..**"

The tomboy growled, "You have no right to call him that!"

The woman raised a pierced brow (she had them running up and down her ears, as well), "**Who do you think I am?**"

Maiko gulped, "I-.. I don't know! But I'll kill you for what you did!"

Suddenly, the water began to rise and the girl backed away.

It abruptly formed the woman the tomboy had seen in her reflection.

The creature began to slowly walk towards her.

"**Do you truly wish to kill me?**"

The genin backed away quickly.

"Y-you.. Why would you want to kill Dai?"

The woman growled like a beast.

"**He LIED TO ME! HE LIED ABOUT EVERYTHING!**"

She screamed and tossed her weapons around her in a tantrum.

Maiko kept her pierced brows up high.

"W-.. what?"

The woman with the longer, choppier green hair smirked, composing herself.

"**He's lying to you, Maiko..**"

The lanky girl drew a kunai she didn't know she had.

"How do you know my name?"

"**Why, Maiko.. I am you.**"

The teenager stared with a strict glare.

There was a lump in her throat that refused to go down.

"You can't be. I would never hurt Dai. He's like my brother."

The older woman threw her arms out around herself.

"**HE LIED TO US, MAIKO! HE'S LYING! HE ALWAYS HAS BEEN! YOU THINK YOU'RE RELATED TO HIM? DO YOU? DO YOU SEE ANY RESEMBLANCE BETWEEN THE TWO OF YOU! DO YOU!**"

Maiko fell backwards and stared up at the approaching maniac.

Her unique eyes were wide with fear.

"**WHY DO YOU THINK THEY WHISPERED ABOUT US, MAIKO! WHY DO YOU THINK THE HOKAGE HATES US, MAIKO? HE ISN'T OUR FAMILY. HE ISN'T OUR FRIEND.**"

Crawling backwards, the lanky teen began to cry.

"N-no! Dai is my cousin! H-he's my cousin! I love him! He's my family! I love him!"

The creature screamed.

"**BUT HE'S LYING TO US, MAIKO! HE'S LYING! DON'T BELIEVE HIM! WHY DO YOU THINK HE WON'T TELL YOU ABOUT YOUR PARENTS BUT HE HOLDS THEM AGAINST YOU? KILL HIM, MAIKO! KILL HIM!**"

The green-haired girl got up hectically and ran in the opposite direction, still aware of how loud the woman behind her was.

"No! No! No! No! No!"

"**Yes, Maiko.. Just listen to me.. Please.. I can save you.. I can save you from Dai and all of his lies..**"

Maiko shrieked, "No! No! No! Dai wouldn't lie to me! He'd never lie.. to me."

Slowly, she came to a halt and fell to the ground in tears.

The maniac's voice was suddenly directly in her ear.

"**But he is lying, Maiko. He's lying to you everyday. Kill him, Maiko. And all the voices.. They will stop. And it will be you,**" Suddenly, a hand was over the girl's heart, "**and me.**"

"No.."

"**Maiko.**"

"No!"

"**Maiko**."

"No, no, no!"

"**Maiko! Wake up! He's deceiving you!**"

"NO!"

**. . .**

* * *

><p><strong>. . .<strong>

The green-haired girl jolted up, sweating.

She immediately burst into sobs.

The genin stumbled into her bathroom and looked at herself in the mirror.

She was drenched in sweat and tears were still spilling steadily.

Her eyes had .. changed?

Maiko shoved her face closer to the glass.

_I'm right!_

The black circles in her white eyes seemed to have grown a bit thicker, making a more visual 'rippling' effect.

The lanky girl rubbed her temples and closed said eyes.

"Please just be a dream. Please just be a dream. Please just be a dream."

She reopened her eyes and took a deep breath.

She checked her clock.

_It's seven..? I can't believe it ... I actually slept. _

The green-haired tomboy stripped down to her birthday suite before leaping into the shower, not minding when the water came out completely freezing.

She stared at the wall in front of her for what seemed like hours before finally grabbing her shampoo and massaging it throughout her short hair.

After her shower routine, she stepped out and wrapped herself in a large, fuzzy robe.

Her short hair and lack of 'assets' made her look like a boy, but at the moment she didn't care about her appearance.

Maiko was still shaken by her dream.

She tiptoed down the stairs and was shocked when she smelled pancakes and syrup.

She dashed into the kitchen and almost broke down when she saw Daisuke happily dancing around the kitchen, making breakfast.

His hair was tangled and messy, and he was wearing a t-shirt and his boxers, but she was happy to see him either way.

The girl ran to her cousin and took him in a tight hug.

"M-mai? What are you doing awake?"

The green-haired mess replied, "I couldn't sleep very well."

She backed away from him and sat down at the crude table.

"Can I have some pancakes?"

Dai smiled, "Of course! There aren't many because I didn't think you'd be awake so early, but here, take some."

He held out a plate to her with four pancakes and the girl took it happily.

Maiko drowned them in syrup before digging in.

Dai sat across from her with a smile, "So, how are you feeling?"

The tomboy nodded, her mouth semi-full, "Pretty good, I guess. You?"

The chunin smiled, "Great! I'm going to go get dressed, okay? Do you have any plans for today?"

Maiko nodded, "Yeah, I was going to go hang out with Shikamaru and Choji and maybe visit the library."

Daisuke raised a brow as he escorted himself to the stairs, "Alright.. Have fun and be safe!"

The tomboy grunted, her way of saying yes, and shoved the last pancake in her mouth.

. . . .

_Just a dream.. Just a dream.._

**. . .**

* * *

><p><strong>. . .<strong>

**P.O.V. change - Hiromi**

**~.~**

The blonde girl arrived home at dinnertime.

Her time with Hinata was fun and encouraging and Kiba escorted her home.

One of the best parts was the fact that Neji also stuck his head in the room and spoke with Hiromi for a while.

The love-struck girl danced into her home and kissed both of her parents.

Her mother frantically asked her questions that she ignored and her father stared at her with a confused expression as she trotted up the stairs to her room.

When she reached her sanctuary, she leapt to her mirror and began to brush her messy blonde hair.

Almost immediately, her mother swung her door open, her father close behind her.

"Sweetheart? How were the exams?"

The girl hummed a tune before turning and smiling, "Oh, they were pretty good. I failed at the Preliminaries, but my teammate Kotone is going to the Third Exam!"

Mrs. Sato grinned, "Ah! Wonderful! Who were the examiners?"

Hiromi put a finger to her chin, "Ahh, umm, Ibiki Morino and Anko Mitarashi, I believe."

Mr. Sato smiled softly, ".. I'm glad you're safe."

The blonde girl stood and wrapped her arms as much as she could around her parents.

"I was so scared, but now.. I'm a stronger and more experienced kunoichi."

Her mother sighed and petted her hair, "I'm sorry I couldn't help you."

Hiromi huffed and detached herself, "I don't need to be handicapped, mom. I think.. I think I want to start doing things on my own now. I want to be more independent, but.. I'm not sure where to start."

The girl's father smiled and said in his soft voice, "We'll support you all the way. But are you sure?"

Mrs. Sato grinned, "Let's leave her for a while, dear. I think she needs time to think."

Hiromi nodded, watching her parents close the door behind them, then burst into a fit of giggles.

_I talked to him.. _

_He knew my name.._

The blonde girl did a few twirls before purposefully falling onto her bed with a smile.

_Maybe.. I still have some hope.. Hehehehe!_

For the rest of the night, the petite genin practiced conversing with Neji by staring in the mirror and impersonating him.

She also squealed and giggled, imaging what it would be like to hold his hand, kiss his cheek, and possibly kiss him on the _lips._

**. . .**_  
><em>

* * *

><p><strong>. . .<strong>_  
><em>

**P.O.V. change - Kotone **

**~.~**

. . . . . .

_... Up!_

. . . . .

_.. ake up!_

. . . . . .

_Wake up!_

White-eyes opened abruptly.

Kotone analyzed her surroundings.

"What.. has occurred?"

**You fainted, pet. **

The pale genin noted that the tiara was missing, along with the box it came in.

"I calculate a fifty-two percent chance that you removed the gift?"

Master sighed, the noise being disturbing.

**Yes, yes, I believe you are correct. It put too much on you, I suppose.**

Nothing else was exchanged between the two as the girl cleaned herself up.

When she was once again picture-perfect, Kotone strolled out of her apartment.\

. . . .

Her master kept quiet as she sauntered about the village, somehow finding her way back to the antique shop she had visited a while back.

The same old man was sitting as still as one of his merchandise and sent a toothless smile to Kotone as she walked inside.

"Good afternoon!"

She ignored him and looked through all the items with little interest before stumbling upon the katana she had recognized from her last visit.

The old man was suddenly beside her with a grin, "Would you like to buy this?"  
>. . . .<p>

"No. How much is it?"

The shopkeeper raised a wrinkled brow before responding, "Forty thousand yen [40,000 yen = 500 US dollars]."

Kotone stared at the weapon before gently picking it up.

It was light.

Lighter than most katanas.

The old man chuckled and answered her unspoken question, "This weapon is special. It was brought to me years ago from an old civilization in the dessert. The city no longer exists now, so this is quite the treasure."

The emotionless girl looked at him blankly.

"I will purchase this."

The shopkeeper smiled and danced to his counter, watching with enthusiasm as the teenager approached.

"You know the price. Give me the yen and the sword is all yours."

The girl reached into the secret pockets of her kimono and pulled out her yen.

She had accommodated her skills to get money, always being prepared for whenever rent was needed, and having some left over.

The emotionless teen handed the cashier the yen and readjusted her grip on the katana.

It seemed... precious.

As if she had seen it before.

"Here's your change," the man said with yet another toothless grin, dropping some coins and a bill into Kotone's open hand.

"Come back again soon!"

The pale girl walked to the door before turning and bowing, "I will."

. . . .

And so she strolled away with her prize strapped to her waist.

**. . .**

* * *

><p><strong>. . .<strong>

**P.O.V. change - Hiromi**

**~.~**

The next morning, the petite girl leapt out of bed with a smile.

She danced into the shower, and when she was finished, danced out, her wet hair flying around her.

"Sweetheart! Breakfast is ready!"

Hiromi tiptoed down the stairs and jumped into a seat, singing under her breath.

Her mother had her beautiful hair up in a ponytail and happily placed a plate of eggs and bacon in front of her daughter.

"Good morning, dear. I didn't think you'd be up so early!"

Hiromi giggled, "Well, I slept really well, and I have some errands I'd like to run after breakfast."

Mr. Sato stumbled to the table, hair messy from sleep.

"Errands?"

His daughter nodded, slowly eating her eggs.

"I was going to get some flowers for Hinata and maybe buy some groceries. If I have some time left over, I'll probably visit Maiko-chan."

Mrs. Sato placed two other plates at the table and began to eat, "Alright. I'll give you a list of what we need before you go."

Her husband fell asleep at his spot and Hiromi laughed softly as she finished her breakfast, downing her orange juice quickly.

"Okay, I'm going to go get dressed!"

The girl went to her room quickly and began to sort through her closet before finding a pale blue dress that puffed out around her knees.

It had spaghetti straps, so it'd be perfect for the hot weather.

Hiromi changed into it quickly and rushed to her mirror to fix her hair.

When she arrived down stairs, her beautiful blonde hair was up in a braided bun almost at the top of her head, with some pieces hanging down to frame her doll-like face.

Her dress and white flats made her look picturesque.

Mrs. Sato hurriedly handed her a folded piece of paper and smiled, "Have fun, Hiromi-chan. Don't talk to strangers, and don't take too long."

Hiromi nodded, "Yes, mom. I'll be back before you know it."

She hit the ground with her shoes to ensure that they were safely on before walking out of her house and taking a deep breath.

. . .

The blonde girl and her odd family lived in an average part of Konoha.

The neighbors that lived across the street, a couple expecting a baby, waved.

"Good morning, Hiromi!"

"Good morning!"

The woman with the lump on her stomach giggled, "I hope our child is as beautiful as Hiromi. What do you think, dear?"

Her husband smiled and placed a hand on her belly, "I agree."

The blonde girl thanked them before good-bye and continued walking.

_I wonder if I'll get married and have children with Neji.._

She immediately turned red and looked down.

_Marriage? Children? I'm getting way ahead of myself. _

Hiromi turned on a certain street from memory and soon arrived at a flower shop.

She walked in with a gentle smile.

"Good morning, Ayame!"

An middle-aged woman with grey hair beginning to sneak up on her, peeked out from behind a large rose bush and grinned, "Good morning, Hiromi! You sure are up early. Here for some flowers?"

The petite girl nodded, "Yes, ma'am!"

Ayame walked to her counter and wiped the sweat off of her forehead.

"Are you looking for something specific?"

Hiromi put a finger to her chin in thought before snapping her fingers.

"Sunflowers!"

The woman in front of her raised a brow, "Sunflowers? Really? Why?"

The girl with the braided bun replied, "Because Hinata means 'in the sun'."

Ayame nodded, "Alright. I'll have you some sunflowers in just a moment.."

She disappeared for a moment before rushing back to Hiromi with at least eight flowers in her arms.

She carefully made a bouquet of the sunflowers and smiled at the results.

"Here you are, Hiromi. That'll be one thousand seven hundred yen [1700 yen = 20 US dollars]."

The blonde child reached into her pockets and dug out the money, laying it in Ayame's hand and taking the bouquet.

"It's beautiful, Ayame. Thank you so much!"

The woman smiled, "It's no problem. I'll see you around later, I suppose."

The petite genin nodded and strolled out of the shop, carefully mapping her way to Hinata's home.

**. . .**

* * *

><p><strong>. . .<strong>

The Hyuuga household was huge.

Hiromi felt tiny compared to their entrance.

She entered the facility, and went to the door.

"E-excuse me? Hello?"

Her heart skipped a beat.

"Sato-san? What are you doing here?"

Neji's glare seemed like the most romantic stare in the world.

_Don't romanticize it, Hiromi.. Calm down._

"I.. I'm here to see Hinata."

Her voice sounded so much stronger than her wobbling knees.

The older genin stared her down for a moment before turning around.

"Follow me. I'll take you to her."

Hiromi took off her shoes traditionally and tiptoed silently behind Neji, attempting to block her bright red face with the sunflowers.

Tha-thump.

_I'm here.. with Neji.. Just the two of us.._

Tha-thump.

_Maybe.. I should say something..?_

"Umm," the blonde girl's voice was shaky, "I hope you do well in the Third Exam.."

Her senior nodded, not turning his head or even glancing.

_That was stupid! _

_Oh, I'm such an idiot!_

_Hinata's room is coming closer.. _

_I have to leave an impression.. I have to!_

"I-.."

Neji stopped walking and turned towards the blonde girl.

"We're here. You can find your way back out when you're done."

He strolled away stiffly and Hiromi almost dropped her bouquet.

"I-Um.. I-.. Okay.."

. . .

. . . .

. . . . .

"I'm such an idiot sometimes, Hinata.. I can't believe I didn't say anything cool.."

The injured girl laid in her soft bed, smiling softly at her blonde friend, her eyes sometimes flickering to her new, unique bouquet.

Only this genin could make her show how talkative she really was.

"You just need to talk to him, Hiromi.. I know it's hard since he acts like he has something better to do, but he's beginning to ease into the idea of talking to other people.."

The blonde girl nodded, "You're right, I suppose.. I'm so sorry for making this about me.. How are you feeling?"

Hinata frowned, "Better, I suppose. I still feel a little weak."

Hiromi sighed, "I guess that's what happens. You fought well, though. I was really impressed!"

The girl with the dark hair gasped, "Really? I thought you did amazing! You really showed Shino with that new jutsu.. You looked beautiful, too."

The girl with the bun giggled, "Really? I felt pretty silly twirling around.."

"You really did do great," the injured girl responded.

Suddenly, the door slid open and there was Neji.

Hinata noted how Hiromi immediately turned red.

He sat down in a royal way and the blonde girl's jaw dropped.

_He wants to sit in here.. And talk with us?_

Seeing as to how Hiromi was completely star-struck, Hinata spoke up.

"N-neji-san.. Is there something you needed?"

The senior shook his head, "No. I simply wished to visit."

"A-ah.. Well, I'm, umm, glad," Hinata smiled and turned towards her flustered friend, "Hiromi, you were telling me about your new jutsu?"

Nodding slowly, the three began speaking leisurely after a few minutes of discomfort.

For Hinata, it was odd, but nice, to see Hiromi so comfortable with Neji around.

And vice-versa.

Eventually, their conversations were relaxed and enjoyable and Hiromi was giggling, too.

"And well, it was really bad. I still remember being yelled at my by parents," she said, finishing up a story of how Shino, Kiba, and herself once killed a neighbor's old cat.

Hinata sighed, "I still can't believe why you did that."

The blonde girl shrugged, "I was little. And Kiba was the one who proposed it."

Neji let a small smile fall on his face and stood, "It's a little after lunchtime, Sato-san, Hinata-san. Would you two like some food?"

Hiromi squeaked, "Lunchtime? I have to go buy groceries!"

Her friend with the short, dark hair, giggled, "I figured you would have forgotten something. It was nice seeing you."

The blonde girl sighed, "I'm so sorry to have to leave so abruptly, Hinata, Neji-san. I hope I can see you two around sometime."

She rushed out of the room only to have Neji stop her.

_N-Neji..?_

The senior said blandly, "Let me take you back to the entrance. This is a very large household."

Hiromi glanced nervously around the place, looking anywhere but at Neji.

"Tha-.. That'd be n-n-n-nice, th-thank you."

_No! I was doing just great just a second ago!_

_Oh. I can't do anything without Hinata.._

The two walked in silence before Neji spoke up.

"Thank you for coming to visit."

Hiromi was completely flushed.

"Ah-ah, it's, ahh, no problem."

The two genin (perhaps one soon-to-be chunin) approached the door and the girl with the braided bun slipped into her shoes, politely bowing.

"Th-thank you for everything. Bye, Neji-s-san."

Before the boy could reply, the blonde genin ran off.

**. . .**

* * *

><p><strong>. . .<strong>

"Mom! Dad! I'm home!"

After a long time in the market, blushing randomly thinking about her visit with the Hyuuga's, Hiromi finally arrived home.

Unfortunately, she couldn't even stop and think about visiting Maiko.

Mrs. Sato bolted to the door with a worried expression, "What took you so long? I didn't put too many things on the list, did I?"

Her daughter shook her hands (almost knocking all the bags on her arms to the ground), "N-no way! I was just taking a long time! It was very easy! I'll go on ahead and unpack them!"

She scurried into her house and set her bags down on the kitchen table only to sigh with a completely love-struck expression.

_He looked so dreamy._

"Hiromi, sweetie."

"Hmmm?"

. . . .

"The milk doesn't go in the cupboard."  
>. . . .<p>

"Oh no! I'm so sorry! Guuah!"

"Honey.. Did she trip on that chair _again_?"

"Yes.."

"I'm so sorry.."

**. . . .**

* * *

><p><strong>AN -**

**.**

**.**

**.**

**.**

**.**

**I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! Seems a little bad to me, but .. Well, I hope YOU guys like it.**


	18. Chapter 18

**A/N: Good morning everyone! It's 2:20am and I'm exhausted! But I'd like you all to enjoy a due chapter update! I hope you guys like it.. **

**Oh my heavens... Tahno is gone, I can tell. There's no more reason for me to watch that show.. **

**Anyways! **

**Thanks to.. **

**~Reviews~**

Animefangirl95 - _Thank you very very very very much for reviewing :DD_

_Thank youuuu! She's quite the cutie :3 I hope she's not annoying or anything.. _

_Ah, yes, yes! It's hopefully actually getting eventful! Suspenseful! I'm very excited :) I've got the whole next few chapters planned out.. But not really.. _

_The sword plays a lot, but not right now. I have so many things planned for the future.. I guess I need to reel it back in, huh XD_

_Sorry for the late update. I wasn't exactly too inspired DX and I was being lazy, like usual._

_Oh, it's no problem :) I just want whoever is reading and reviewing to know that I acknowledge them and LOVE THEM. _

_I hope you enjoy this chapter c: _

sandluvr1213 - _Thank you for reviewing :) I love you~_

_Hmmm.. Really? I thought it was practically useless. I still feel iffy about this chapter, too, but hopefully none of you guys will mind.. Haha.. Ha.. _

_Ah.. Thank you XD I don't think its all that great, but I'm glad you do. _

_I'm going to try and milk as many chapters as I can out of the exams.. Don't worry ;) Fights will be coming soon!_

_I hope you enjoy this chapter!_

bored411  - _Thank you for reviewing, dear :D I want you to know that you are beautiful!_

_Yes, she is truly clumsy, isn't she..? Tsk, tsk.. _

_That's what she is :'D Just a little girl with a crush on the handsome Neji.. I admit, I'd have a crush on him, too. _

_Here's an update! I'm sorry I've been so lazy!_

animegirl3774  - _Welcome aboard! .. Thanks for reviewing!_

_Ahh. Girls are nice C: I love you, girl! You are beautiful ;)_

_NO. Thank YOU. _

_Awww, thank you :)_

_Teachers aren't that bad.. I had one teacher who was really nice to the girls, but not the boys.. And she always talked about her social life. _

_I'm sure you'd be a great one XD_

_Anyways~! I hope you enjoy this chapter :) _

a Wiccan - _Thank you for reviewing, Mr. or Mrs. :D_

_OHHHHHH! .. I shoulda looked it up. I'm so stupid :'D_

_Well, that's cool! It sounds awesome too.. How do you pronounce it? _

_Anyways.. I hope you like this chapter!_

Kaefa () - _THANK YOUUUUU!_

_Aw, it's okay. Being lazy is fun! I mean.. Look at me! (Shows me sitting in my pajamas with a bunch of sodas and chip bags everywhere) :] It's great._

_Why, yes.. You're right~! That IS important! XD Yay!_

_Aww.. thank you.. I love reading your reviews :D I hope that doesn't sound like I'm desperate for them o.o I mean, I like them, but.. _

_Nevermind.. _

_You think? I'm beginning to wonder if people hate her.. _

_I hope you like reading this chapter!_

Eternal Cat Moon - _I finally realized what your name reminded me of. RENALDO MOON from The Cat Returns. Err.. Thanks for reviewing!_

_Aww, thanks :] You're very sweet. _

_There isn't much detail on how her training went, but I will give you an idea - she just did what she usual did XD I'm sorry for not being more exciting. _

_Ahh.. Yes.. The dream is very important :) And sad :C_

_Hope you like this chapter!_

MaoIsSleepy - _MaoIsSleepy.. What an interesting name XD I'm sleepy all the time~! Thank youuuuu~!_

_LOLOLOL HE IS GREAT. He just seems.. kinda creepy o.o Too bad he's gone now :c_

_.. I love you. We can both mourn his death. TOGETHER. I really miss him. I rewatched the series with my brother and he said it made him sad, too :D_

_Is it weird that we finished the entire series in three days..? _

_I'M SO SORRY. I TOOK SO LONG. I'M SORRY._

_.. Please enjoy.._

suzie1107 - _Hi. Thanks._

_I can't really tell you now.. I'm thinking of making two alternate endings, so that she can be with both XD _

_.. He kinda had some interaction.. But he had some in this chapter :O Hopefully, you'll like it!_

_LOLOLOLOLOL! I'm sorry, Gaara XD You'll get a lady one day!_

_Hope you enjoy this chapter XD _

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_I'm sorry :o all will be revealed soon enough. _

_ENJOY!_

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* * *

><p><strong>AN: Ahhh. I love all of you XD **_  
><em>

**BTW! I want all of you who read and don't review to know that I love you, as well! You are all beautiful and unique!**

__**.. Does this chapter seem.. disappointing to anyone..? Please do tell!**

* * *

><p><strong>P.O.V. - ?<strong>

**~.~**

_**Would you like some tea? **_

_Oh, yes, please, sir! I love tea. _

_**Here, you are. It's my personal favorite. **_

_He-he! That's really tasty!_

_**You think? Thank you very much.**_

_No wonder it's your favorite! From now on it's mine, too!_

_**R-really..? **_

_Really! I love it!_

_**W-why thank you!**_

. . .

_**Please.. Don't go..**_

_I have to. My mommy and daddy need me. _

_**B-but.. You'll forget.. **_

_No I won't. I promise. _

_**T-.. You promise..? **_

_.. I'll try and visit. I swear. _

_**No.. No! Don't go!**_

. . .

"I said wake up, you good for nothing- Oh! You're awake."

. . .

Bright red eyes stared with a lazy shine at the ceiling.

. . .

"Do you think she'll ever come back, brother?"  
>. . .<p>

A sigh came from the opposite side of the room.

"It's all up to you, you know."

He rose from his lying position and grabbed his hat, placing it promptly on his head.

"I suppose you're right.."

He looked down at a picture frame that he had accidentally stepped on and sighed.

. . .

"... Akuma."

* * *

><p><strong>P.O.V. change - Hiromi<strong>

**~.~**

Yes, it was true. The final competition was an extreme festival for those who were in it, and those who weren't. Of course, almost everyone was drunk. Hiromi couldn't fathom how her parents got along so well with Hanako-sensei, laughing and talking so freely. She feared for their lives..

Mr. Sato stayed silent, as usual, piping in with a witty comment every now and then, but Mrs. Sato was .. a very odd drunk. She laughed (no, screaming was more like it) loudly at everything everyone said, and drank as much as possible. One time, she tried to steal the drinks of those around her. It was bad, needless to say.

Hiromi herself did not participate in the celebration. She sat back, waiting patiently for her friends to arrive so she wouldn't be alone. She was dressed semi-formally with a nice skirt and her hair tied back in a flowing braid, but the blonde was bored. Girls her age weren't meant to be babysitting their drunken parents..

"Yo, Hiromi-chan."

The short genin looked up with a cheerful expression, watching her teammate approach with a handsome looking young man following behind her. Maiko was wearing her usual outfit, baggy sleeves and shorts, but her hair had a single flower pin in it, and it almost made Hiromi laugh. She guessed her guardian forced her to wear it.

"Hi, Maiko-chan! I'm glad that you're here. I was getting a little bit bored.."

The man with her teammate disappeared to get a drink and the two girls adventured off (after Hiromi informed her parents that she and her friend were going, of course). They talked together for a while, discussing latest gossip and fashion, until they collided with Kotone.

She looked almost like a painting, her milky eyes staring into her teammates' souls and her entire being colored like fresh snow.

"Hi, Kotone! What are you doing here?" Hiromi asked with a grin.

Kotone didn't seem like one to go to social events. Especially since apparently none of her family was in Konoha.

"It is only natural that I attend the ceremonies of this village, seeing as to how I am one of the contestants in the final rounds tomorrow," the robotic girl replied.

Maiko smirked, "You want to come with us? We were just headed to a stall with some games."

"No."

Hiromi sighed, "Well, we'll see you around, I suppose."

Kotone nodded, walking past them with no sound at all but the constant clicking of her shoes against the ground. The other two girls continued, finding the game stall quickly but groaning when they realized that it would be pointless to play since it was a scam (no joke ; this man was robbing the smaller children blind).

Maiko yawned, "This festival is always the same.. Dai getting drunk and having to make me drag him home.."

"Yeah," Hiromi giggled, "I know how you feel. My father doesn't get too drunk, though. But it's been the same ever since I was a little girl! I've been going to it every year.."

Maiko froze and her teammate stopped as well, looking with worry and curiosity at her stunned friend's face.

"Is something wrong?"

"I-.. I've been going to these since I was a little girl, too.."

The green-haired tomboy groaned and pinched the bridge of her nose, as though she was aggravated. Hiromi panicked.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine.. I'm fine.. I'm fine..."

Maiko stumbled a few steps before freezing again. The girl with the braid rushed to her side and placed a gentle hand on her back.

"Maiko-chan?"

She was swatted away.

"I-.. I'm going home.. I'll see you later.."

And so, the girl with the odd eyes that seemed like ripples of black and white, disappeared into the crowd, and Hiromi watched with a frightened expression as she did so.

* * *

><p><strong>P.O.V. change - Maiko<strong>

**~.~**

That woman's voice.. That woman from her dream.. It was echoing throughout her skull. It didn't form words, but laughed at Maiko as she tried to find Dai so she could be taken home.

"Maiko."

_No.. No.. Go away.. _The tomboy turned slowly and forced a smile on her face when she saw Shikamaru approaching. He was alone, and that wasn't good.

"Hey, Shika. I'm going home, so I'll see you tomorrow."

"I, gahh, this is such a drag.. but.. We need to talk."

Finding no other way to avoid him (he may sound uninterested, but she knew she couldn't escape this conversation after all these weeks of avoiding it), she stepped to the side and crossed her arms, waiting patiently for her friend to begin speaking.

"You remember that time you tried to kill me?"

".. It was an accident. I wasn't feeling well, that's all."

Shikamaru sighed before looking at his tomboy friend with a lazy expression. His dark eyes seemed to tell her that he was exhausted.

"You look tired, Shika.. Go home and get some rest for tomorrow."

Maiko gave him a friendly pat of the shoulder before walking away, unaware of how her childhood friend couldn't hear the faint laughter inside her head, which seemed to have its own pulse of pain.

* * *

><p><strong>P.O.V. change - Hiromi <strong>

**~.~**

The young genin found her way back to her parents after countless confusing turns, and to her surprise, some of her friends were there waiting for her at the crowded bar. She chatted with Kiba, giggled with Hinata, smiled at Shino, and at one point, Sakura was there trying to find Sasuke, and Hiromi talked with her as well.

She had a lot of fun, but as she approached her house, waving farewell to Shino, Kiba, and Ino (they all lived nearby), she wished she had talked to Maiko and Kotone a little bit more. She felt as though they had a lot on their minds they wanted to share, but kept silent.. And it was extremely odd to see the tomboy hobble away in pain and confusion. What really startled Hiromi were her eyes.. They seemed different.

The blonde snapped out of her thoughts as she ran to open the door for her mother, who seemed positively giggly, mumbling incoherent thoughts and laughing at her own jokes. Mr. Sato thanked his daughter before guiding his wife up the stairs, trying to contain Mrs. Sato's insane drunkenness. Hiromi followed them into the house, locking the door behind her and falling into her room after climbing up the stairs.

_Tomorrow's the day, huh_, she thought silently as she changed into her silky pajamas. Of course she was excited. She got to see her friends in action, and by friends she meant Neji. The selfish thought made the genin blush and she stuffed her face into her pillow and giggled happily, aware of how similar she and her mother were at the moment.

The blonde dimmed her lights, crawling into bed with a girlish grin on her face. Knowing that sleep would evade her, she closed her eyes and envisioned her crush's battle and perhaps his handsome victory. When she did fall asleep, she dreamt of a prince riding to save her from a monster on a stallion the color of Kotone.

* * *

><p><strong>P.O.V. change - Kotone<strong>

**~.~**

The festival didn't seem like a very exciting event. People got drunk and laughed merrily, but the cheer evaded the pale girl as she walked towards her home after her brief encounter with her teammates. She had yet to see anyone she knew besides them and the Uchiha, who conversed with her shortly, trying to get it across that he wished to pummel her into the ground during the final rounds, but Kotone ignored his threats and walked past him, much to his chagrin.

The moon was high up as she slowly approached her apartment, not even bothering to take note that it was soon to be a full moon. Her database knew this automatically. The pallid genin walked up the stairs, the only sound in the night being her shoes and the faint buzzing and chirping of small insects.

When she sensed a dark chakra in the area, she looked around with her milky eyes. None of her neighbors had the capability of unlocking their chakra, or at least did not do so. Kotone reached her room and glanced at the door beside her own. No one lived in that room, or at least no one she had felt to analyze. New comers, she suggested, calculating quickly the percentages and chances of the people being harmful.

The genin walked into her apartment, taking off her shoes and immediately heading to the wall that was shared with the new guests' room. She placed her ear against it and focused on the low voices and sounds coming from them.

_Click-click-click-click. _

_Click-click-click. _

That sound.. It was in her database. Kotone moved away from the wall and went to her bedroom, looking out her window at the moon before lying atop of her bed and staring at the ceiling. So, her opponent was in the room beside her own?

**How.. uncanny. **

The ashen girl closed her eyes. There was only a forty-two percent chance that the puppeteer would attempt to kill her, and only a lowly ten percent chance that he even knew that she was in the room beside his own. But, he was probably not alone. That redheaded boy.. Sabaku no Gaara, was surely lurking around somewhere. It was likely that he knew she was here. His pesky sand would probably pay a visit, as well. Noting the window right beside her, Kotone stood and walked out of her bedroom, finding herself eventually at the door of the puppeteer's room.

**I don't highly suggest giving away your position to him and his .. family. **

"Master.. The noise he is making.. I .. It .."

No word could describe the pain flowing throughout her veins as the constant clicking occurred, scarring the girl's insides like a knife slicing through her pale skin. She reached towards the handle of the door, and stopped when she heard the hissing of moving sand.

**Sabaku no Gaara..**

Kotone turned and saw him, standing with his arms crossed and his expression reeking of hatred.

"I am not here to harm your siblings, if that is what you are assaulting me for."

The sand approaching her at a slow pace seemed to hiss at her, and the outsider stared her down with shining teal eyes.

"I do not care about them."

The comment was so blandly spoken, Kotone almost wondered if she sounded like that, not caring about anything at all, not even having the capability to. The grains of sand wrapped around her ankle, and the pale girl looked at Gaara, her optics boring into his soul.

The two stared each other down, two beings that cared about no one (except for the Jinchuriki, who felt love for only himself), all the while listening to the hissing sand that slowly made its way to the girl's neck. When it finally reached its target and began to squeeze, Kotone could hear her Master growling.

Why did he want to kill her, anyway? She was just a mindless, soulless genin who showed no emotion, walking around like a doll, marching and dancing on command. Perhaps it was because they were too similar?

The sallow girl put a hand to the sand attempting to strangle her. Silence engulfed the two before suddenly the sand was sliced in two, and Gaara watched, his teal eyes still showing loathing. Wind swirled around the lifeless girl, causing her hair to dance and her kimono to fly (of course, she wasn't embarrassed if he saw her undergarments. She was emotionless, and did it even matter?), causing the other genin's sand to slither back.

The odd staring contest lasted for another few minutes, gusts still wiping around their master, who eventually turned away from the Sand siblings' door and going into her own room, feeling the dislike from Gaara burning into her back as she disappeared.

. . .

. . . .

. . . . .

She did not sleep that night, like usual, staring at the door as though expecting the murderous Jinchuriki to burst in and rip her to shreds for fighting back against his assault.

* * *

><p><strong>P.O.V. change - No one <strong>

**~.~**

The three genin showed up at the usual training area, but not for training (except for Kotone, she looked as though she had been training all day). Hiromi was dressed politely, with a blue skirt that went to her knees and a white tank top, no signs at all of her usual bright red forehead protector. Her flowing mane was tied back in a magnificent fish tail braid with a silky blue bow. Maiko was dressed in black shorts and a grey t-shirt, also shedding her usual Konoha headband. Her own green hair seemed as messy as ever. It was almost unfamiliar, seeing the two without their regular training attire, but the situation would never happen with Kotone, seeing as to how she never seemed to alternate her usual dress with her usual geta that made plenty of clicking and clacking sounds. Hiromi vaguely wondered if they were even comfortable.

Hanako-sensei changed her outfit daily, though, sometimes wearing a beautiful kimono and other days wearing a modest, modern dress that flowed around her model-like body with ease. She was dressed in a kimono that was designed with flowers and tree branches, carrying a paper parasol decorated in the same fashion.

"Well, is everyone prepared? I didn't think going together was a good idea at first, but we might as well. This way we can all wish you good luck before we sit, Kotone," the beautiful woman said, flicking her dark side bangs out of her face.

Hiromi nodded, "I'm all set! I'm glad we're all together like this.. I'm really happy for you, Kotone!"

The girl with the white hair nodded, acknowledging her statement. Maiko stayed silent, crossed her arms and groaning.

"Are we going to go or not? I'm sick and tired of sitting around in this miserable heat."

Hanako-sensei hissed, "You do realize it's going to be just as hot in the arena, correct?"

The tomboy sighed in disappointment and Hiromi sweat-dropped.

"L-let's just go on ahead! Maybe we'll get good seats."

. . . . . .

The arrival at the arena was splendid. Fireworks went off in the air as people began to pour in. Team 14 shoved themselves through the entrance, biding farewell to each other as Kotone went to join the other contestants and the other girls went to sit with their friends.

Hiromi waved down Hinata and Kiba, who seemed to have come together (no, that slight pang in her heart was not jealousy, be quiet all of you) and sat with them, conversing about the matches, who she wanted to win, etc.

Maiko found Choji and sat beside him, stubbornly shoving her hand in his bag of chips and eating as many as possible, despite his complaints and her being a pig. She asked him a couple of questions about Shikamaru's training and leaned back laxly when he responded that he practically hadn't practiced at all.

"That oaf better get his game face on. If he loses, we're beating the (curse.) out of him, understand?"

"Whatever. As long as I get barbeque afterwards."

"My treat if he wins."

Hanako stood calmly in the shade of her parasol, watching the small figures down in the arena stand and shift slowly. She twirled her umbrella before humming under her breath.

... It was time.

* * *

><p><strong>P.O.V. change - Hiromi<strong>

**~.~**

"It's practically impossible to see who's down there.. I suppose we didn't get too good of seats after all," Hinata said quietly.

Her blonde friend smiled softly, "Well, they're not too bad. We can at least see what's happening, right, Kiba?"

Akamaru barked at her in response and his owner crossed his arms, stubbornly glaring at the contestants.

"Dang it, if it weren't for Naruto, It'd be me down there.. But I guess he deserved it."

"Wait, look! There's Kotone!"

A few parts of the crowd cheered loudly as the speck of complete white approached the other fighters, taking her place beside Shikamaru and standing utterly still.

"Wow. She sure stands out," Hinata whispered.

"Yeah," Hiromi giggled, "I suppose so, with that unusual get-up and all."

"I hope she wins.."

"Yeah, me too!"

* * *

><p><strong>P.O.V. change - No one <strong>

**~.~**

After every single contestant (except for Sasuke, unfortunately) arrived, the crowd of people seemed to go insane in cheer. It was time for the battles they had been anticipating, excitedly waiting for! Neji Hyuuga against Naruto Uzumaki! Sasuke Uchiha against Sabaku no Gaara! Kotone Kimiko versus Sabaku no Kankuro! Shikamaru Nara versus Sabaku no Temari! There were many bets at stake, many lives as well.

.

.

.

And finally, it was time for the beginning of the final rounds.

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><p><strong>AN: **

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**I hope you all enjoyed! Please look forward to Chapter 19!**


	19. Chapter 19

**A/N: Hello, everyone! I'm sorry for another late update, and the unsatisfying chapter, but hopefully you guys will like it! Oh, aaaaand, I have an announcement that will come at the end of the chapter! Please look forward to it!**

**Thanks to...**

**~Reviewers~**

Tough chick  - Hahahaah! YES! Violence is always great :} Thank you for reviewing, dear!

bored411 - Sorry.. Her REAL battle is coming up in the next few chapters.. Please don't be disappointed :C Thank you for reading and reviewing!

Eternal Cat Moon - Aww, thanks :) Oh, you. You're so sweet :D I love your reviewsss~! Anyways, I hope you enjoy this chapter AND the announcement at the end ;) Thanks for reading and reviewing!

ilovebrownies - Thanks! I love YOU ;) Yes, yes, she will. But not this one, because I wouldn't feel right changing what he does. They'll fight in a little bit, but there was some action in this chapter :) Thanks for reading and reviewingggggggg! P.S. - I LOVE BROWNIES TOO! P.S.S. - PLEASE LOOK FORWARD TO THE ANNOUNCEMENT!

Animefangirl95 - Awww, thank you XD If I don't worry about them, though, I probably wouldn't bother to update at all! Really? I thought since Shikamaru's dad got drunk, they might as well, too! Yeah, sometimes they're really obvious and you're like, "SRSLY. GUISE. SRSLY." But yeah XD Maiko and Shikamaru FOREVER! I feel kinda bad writing it, too, but IT'S NEEDED! Neji always needs love :) I think he's just sooo unff! Kiba will get his spotlight eventually :3 YES!YESYESYES~! THEY'RE EPICCC! AND INTENSE! I'm glad someone said that XD I was trying to make it like that!

Hope you like this chapter, love! Thank you for reading and reviewing and existing! P.S. - READ THE END MESSAGGGE

sandluvr1213  - Yay, final rounds :DDDD ENJOY! Me tooooo XD I have sooo much planned! Impending..? What's that mean :o ? Anyways, I hope that's a compliment! Thanks for reading and reviewing! Hope you enjoy ;) P.S.- AN OUNASOIHF AT THE EDNNDNG

MaoIsSleepy - OH MY GOSH THAT'S SO SWEET! THANK YOU! That is all just so aohdg afg thank you XD I thought maybe I was just shoving them in there (.. That's what she said) and aapdojadgj thank you! Here's an update :) Please do enjoy! Oh, and there's an announcement at the end that I'm excited for! Please do read it!

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* * *

><p><strong>AN: I'm so tired.. I'm sorry XD I'm trying to update before 1am so I can get to bed! **

**DISCLAIMERED!**

**.**

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**.**

**Enjoy :D**

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><p><strong>P.O.V. - No one<strong>

**~.~**

"Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for coming to the Hidden village of Konoha's Chunin Selection Exam today. We will now being the main battles of the eight who have passed the preliminaries. Please enjoy the matches."

A short pause commences and as the crowd counts in confusion the number of genin down in the arena, the man in front of them pulls a piece of paper out of his shirt.

"There are a few things I need to explain first. Look at this."

He unfolds the paper and shows the seven contestants a tournament chart similar to the one they were shown approximately one month ago.

"There were a few changes in the matches, but nothing too critical. Check to see your opponent."

The genin obey, scanning the chart closely and sigh in relief when they realize only one of them had a change, and it was a seemingly good one, considering that he had less matches.

"Hey. Hey!" It's the blonde boy who speaks, raising his hand in an almost polite manner.

"What?"

"Sasuke hasn't arrived yet."

"If he doesn't show up by the time his match starts, he will lose by default."

Naruto turns quickly to the entrance, worrying about his teammate. The crowd is still buzzing with chat. People were excited, anxious.

"Listen up. Though the terrain is different, the same rules from the preliminaries apply ; there are no rules. The match will only end when someone dies or gives up. But, if I decide the match is over, I will end it. Don't argue with me over it. Got it?"

. . . .

. . . .

"The first match is... Uzumaki Naruto," the man with the odd twig in his mouth said with a bored tone, "and.. Hyuuga Neji. The rest of you go back to the waiting room."

And so, the battle has begun.

**. . .**

* * *

><p><strong>P.O.V. change - Hiromi <strong>

**~.~**

Of course she was scared. Of course she was nervous. Of course her small hands were shaking with anticipation, watching as the rest of the contestants disappeared in a doorway and left the bright blotch of orange and his polar opposite standing side by side, glaring at each other out of the corner of their eyes.

She was alone. Kiba and Hinata had gone to see if there were any snacks. She hadn't even thought about saving their seats, but no one dared steal them from her. Hiromi hiccupped in her silence.

"Hey, Hinata! Hurry it up ; someone may take our seats!"

"O-okay."

The blonde genin sat up straight, trying to hide her worry.

"Oh, you're back! No snacks?"

Kiba smirked charmingly, "No snacks. I was too excited.. I can't wait to see this match!"

The three friends all found their seats, (Shino had appeared from where ever he hides and took a silent seat on the far left) and Hiromi rested a hand on Hinata's light blue clad shoulder.

"Don't worry about Naruto," She whispered, "He'll definitely do his best."

The Hyuuga girl smiled softly before returning to her worried thoughts, the situation not getting any better when the two gentlemen beside Shino decided to trash-talk Uzumaki.

Hiromi frowned. There was nothing she could do about that. People had opinions. She didn't think Naruto would lose. She didn't want to think it, but she did.

Akamaru's whine caused the blonde girl to flinch and look at the lightly colored dog.

"Akamaru, what's wrong?" Kiba asked quickly.

The bond between him and his fighting companion was never underestimated. The dog barked an answer and the nonsense that it was seemed to make complete sense to the dark-haired genin who looked around anxiously.

"Where?"

"What's wrong?" Hiromi asked, but a flick of the eyes told her to follow her friend's gaze, frowning and glaring suspiciously when she reached the target.

"What are ANBU doing here..?"

"Did something happen..?"

"W-what?" Hinata asked quietly.

Hiromi flinched, quickly looking away from the masked shinobi and giggling, "A-ah, nothing! It looks like the match is about to begin! That's all!"

The blonde and the brunette looked at each and nodded, silently promising to keep quiet about their inquiring. They didn't want to make Hinata even more worried and anxious.

**. . .**

* * *

><p><strong>P.O.V. change - Kotone<strong>

**~.~**

The waiting room was tense, opponents eyeing each other cautiously and nervously, as though expecting a silent attack so end their match before it began.

Cheer went throughout the crowd of ignorant people as the man in the arena announced the beginning of the match.

The contestants leaned against the railing of the 'waiting room', cautiously watching as the most emotional blonde boy in Konoha started his match.

They felt the intense gusts of wind that tossed their hair and loose clothes around, the power of the unknown force seemingly indescribable. It was not the current of air that Kotone was used to, bending to her iron will, and doing as she pleased because of her immense spread of powerful chakra. It was almost.. demonic. She knew of Naruto's nature. He was a Jinchuriki, and surely, he was a powerful one at that.

So, she watched with her eyes, that shared the color of fresh snow with the rest of her being, watching with an uninterested expression as the two genin fought to become a chunin.

.

.

.

And waited.

**. . .**

* * *

><p><strong>P.O.V. change - No one<strong>

**~.~**

"Hinata.. You're not feeling okay, are you?"

It was obvious after the fight began to get deep into progress. The Hyuuga coughed lightly at first, then violently, causing Shino, Hiromi, and Kiba to rush to her aid (Shino not quite as loudly and worriedly as Hiromi). Akamaru almost seemed to bark out some of his own concerns.

"You're still hurt from your last match," Shino pointed out.

The blonde girl with her flowing braid rubbed her friend's back in a motherly fashion, "Hinata, hold on!"

As she fretted over her friend, an ANBU member approached.

"I'll take a look at her."

Hiromi looked at him with a apprehensive glare, "Who are you?"

Kiba noticed her doubtful look and glanced nervously around him.

"No one suspicious," The ANBU replied.

.

.

.

.

Slowly, he carried Hinata bridal style up the stairs, and was followed like a mother duck by the Hyuuga's friends. Of course they suspected him. A man in a mask asks if he can examine your friend? Think about it. The girl with the shining ocean eyes stayed close to his side, still wary of his complete and utterly shady appearance.

He laid her down on the uncomfortable stone ground and immediately Hiromi grabbed her hand with a worried frown. Kiba and Shino sat by her side, also mistrustful of the kind stranger. When the ANBU member laid his hand on Hinata's chest, the blonde's motherly instincts kicked in and she grabbed his hand (tightly.. In fact.. It kinda hurt), looking at him with a glare that would kill if it had the capability to do so.

".. You better know what you're doing," She hissed.

The man smiled behind his mask, "Don't worry."

The short genin released him and grabbed her injured friend's hand again in a much softer way than when she wished to squish the ANBU's hand in her palm. He laid his hand back down and immediately, a soft green chakra flowed around her heart.

"Who are you?" Shino asked quickly.

"It's alright. I'm a doctor."

.

.

.

.

.

.

After a while, the girl with the short dark hair's injuries seemed to disappear and she began to breath easier. Hiromi smiled, releasing her hand and carefully pressing her palm against her forehead.

"She's okay, now. She just needs to rest."

.

.

.

.

_Something isn't right.. I recognize that voice.. But from where..? _Hiromi's eyes went wide in shock. _That's -!_

.

.

.

She realized too late.

**. . .**

* * *

><p><strong>P.O.V. change - Kotone <strong>

**~.~**

During Naruto and Neji's match, the pale girl stayed silent, watching nonchalantly with a look of pure blankness. She stood perfectly still, not leaning on the railing, but close enough to it for it to look that way, and her breath was not heard at all. She almost seemed like a statue. Not even a blink throughout the entire battle. She was definitely statue material.

When the match was over, the victory being the spunky blonde who defied his fate, or at least what the handsome Hyuuga called his 'fate', Kotone looked to the side at the tournament chart. Conversation stirred slowly in the waiting room, but she ignored it, noting that she was next if the Uchiha didn't show up.

**A shame.. I was looking forward to seeing him torn to shreds by that Sand kid.. **

The girl with the white hair looked over at Gaara, remembering that he was there, as well.

**He's looking as evil as ever, huh. **

The crowd was noisy, yelling and storming over why the battle hadn't started. There were many bets on the contestants. Vaguely, Kotone calculated the percentage of how many bets were likely placed on her.

12 out of an estimated amount of over a thousand.

She was not exactly a popular genin.

"Hey, Kotone! Are you ready for your match?"

The doll-like girl turned and faced Naruto, unaware as to why he wished to speak with her.

"I am fully prepared for my upcoming battle. I congratulate you on your victory, Jinchuriki."

"Jinchuriki..? What's that?"

"It is none of your concern."

"Wha-?"

The conversation ended as attention was focused on the two men who stood whispering despite the fact that no one would hear them even if they spoke naturally, in the center of the arena. When the one with a distinct scar of his face disappeared, the other spoke.

"Ladies and gentlemen," he began, "An examinee for this match has yet to arrive. Thus, this match will be postponed and we will begin the next match first."

.

.

.

Kotone turned her head to stare at Kankuro, who nervously returned the stare, but with less blankness. He was anxious. He was going to forfeit. The pale girl backed away from the railing.

"Next match up, Kankuro and Kimiko Kotone. Come down."

The pastel girl jumped off the railing. Her white hair fluttered behind her ; her kimono danced in the air (once again, she didn't care who saw) and suddenly, it was as though the wind was creating some sort of stairway for her to find her way to the ground.

In the distance, it was obvious Maiko was smirking boyishly, pumping her fist in the air with a shout of, "OHH YEAH!"

Kotone walked to the ground, the crowd seemingly going insane with applause. She turned around, the wind making the leaves on the ground and her loose clothes flutter with its strong power.

"Kankuro.. I don't highly suggest you forfeit."

The boy with the black suite gulped, his expression nervous.

"E-examiner! I'm giving up!"

A flicker of Kotone's wrist and suddenly a whip of wind flew through the still air, capturing the railing and pulling it downwards, bending it until it seemed as though a demon was attempting to crawl up into the waiting room and devour whoever was there.

Her eyes were blank, but the gusts around her seemed to darken her image, giving off the picture of a demented girl with no soul.

The examiner looked at the boy with raised eyebrows, as if saying, 'You seriously want me to tell this demon that she won't fight you?' Kankuro eyed the fearful damage the girl had done on the other contestants (meaning Naruto, who was cowering in fear behind Shikamaru at the sudden attack) and gulped.

"I-.. I'm giving up! Move onto the next match."

Kotone suddenly disappeared.

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.

.

Even the examiner jolted in fear. The wind seemed to stir up violently, shoving itself in every painful direction towards the waiting room, but still shaking and stirring those who were in the crowd.

.

.

.

.

And suddenly, she was there. Her white soul couldn't be ignored even if someone wanted it to. She appeared abruptly in front of Kankuro who stepped backwards involuntarily.

She took a few steps closer until she was looking up to him and his booming heartbeat was heard clearly. Her geta allowed her to whisper to him, in a voice so much more evil than anything he had heard before, besides Gaara. It was still female, but it wasn't Kotone. It was as though someone completely different was speaking from her point of view.

.

.

"_Next time, I won't let you escape, puppeteer. I will find a way to meet you in battle and tear you into microscopic pieces.. And I will only stop tearing you a part when I see the entire arena drenched in your blood, puppet master._"

So, the white haired girl backed up, no one else hearing the voice that did not belong to her coming out of her mouth. When she spoke again, it was her usual deadpanned tone.

"There is a ninety percent chance I cannot change your mind. I win by default."

And so, she went to her original standing position in the far left section of the room and looked down at the examiner. The wind had died down abruptly, and all of those in the arena seemed to be shocked to a momentary silence.

Temari leapt down into the arena on her fan, creating gusts that were weaker than a child's attacks compared to the monstrous wind controlled by Kotone, and that was that.

**. . .**

* * *

><p><strong>P.O.V. change - Maiko<strong>

**~.~**

Of course she had fallen asleep. There were only two matches that she cared about, and as she awoke, she realized she must have slept through half of Kotone's. But, Shikamaru's was starting, and her pale teammate didn't really have a full match in the first place.

Excited, she reached beside her to have some of Choji's chips, but when her hand met air, she growled, picking up the note he left behind, written in some sort of sauce.

_Gone to get snacks. _

"Gah! You suck, Choji! I'll just watch his match by myself!"

The tomboy crossed her arms stubbornly before leaning forward and looking at the figure of Shikamaru. It looked as though he had been tossed from the waiting room. Speaking of the waiting room...

Maiko gaped at the bent railing, vaguely guessing it was the result of a very vivid battle. She yawned involuntarily before eyeing Kotone, who seemed to be in the exact position she was before her teammate's nap.

_I guess that's what to be expected... But it's time for Shika's match! He's gunna kick (curse.)!_

The green-haired tomboy leaned forward, cheering loudly, nonchalantly screaming in the ears of those who sat in front of her.

"Kick her (curse.), Shikamaru! You're a freaking genius! You got this!"

As her voice died down, she looked around her with a sigh. She didn't want to have to watch his match by herself.

Asuma came into her visual, and the genin with the unique eyes shot up and ran to him and his pretty friend.

When she reached his side, she put her hands on her hips, "Yo, Asuma-sensei!"

The smoker smiled at her, recognizing her from the times that Dai and himself decided to relax together, "Hey, Maiko. Take a seat. You here to watch Shikamaru?"

"You know it! No other reason to really be out here in this (curse.) hot weather."

The woman beside the jounin seemed shocked at the girl's appearance, and her blatantly blunt language. She coughed lightly into her hand before recalling that this was Hanako's student.

"Wasn't your teammate supposed to fight?" She asked.

The tomboy crossed her arms behind her head and sat cross-legged, "Nah, her opponent forfeit. What a (curse.)! Kotone would've killed his sorry (curse.) anyways!"

Asuma sighed, "Will you calm down? Just because your boyfriend is fighting doesn't mean you need to curse like some sailor."

Maiko snorted, "Boyfriend? Please, I can do better than a (curse.) lazy (curse.)!"

The three fell into silence as the boy's match began to really begin, the chic with the fan attacking and the genius running away like a buffoon. When she witnessed him make a square with his hands, she laughed loudly, earning some groans from the people behind her.

"Ha! Looks like the real game is about to begin," She whispered to herself with a smirk.

Kurenai (the hot lady) gasped, "What's that? What seal is that?"

Asuma and Maiko both replied, "That's not a seal. It's a habit of his."

The woman with red eyes raised a delicate brow, "A habit?"

The green-haired girl leaned back some more and sighed, "Shika is practically an old dude. He likes games like go, and shougi and made me learn how to play, too, when I was little. Whenever he got stuck, he'd go into that position and completely smoke everyone! Of course.. That usually wasn't very fun.."

In her mind, she could picture the first time they played it together.

**. . .**

"_What the..? Shikamaru, that's cheating!" _

_He sighed, "No it's not ; I just beat you, that's all." _

"_You couldn't have! I -.. I-.. WE'RE PLAYING AGAIN!" _

"_What a drag.. This is the fifth time.." _

**. . .**

The jounin beside Asuma turned towards Maiko, "Why does he do that?"

The smoker answered instead, with a smirk, "To come up with a strategy. And so far.."

He and Maiko both hung their heads slightly, "I've never beaten him."

Kurenai kept a surprised expression, "Strategy? This isn't a game ; this is real combat."

"But I've heard that the pieces used for devising war plans eventually ended up making these games. So Shikamaru's a very clever strategist," Asuma responded.

Maiko leaned make more, gaining a more comfortable position.

"Wait a minute," the red-eyed woman began, "I looked at his grades from the academy before and they were on the same level as Naruto's!"

The boy's sensei smirked at the ground, "He told me once that moving the pencil in the academy's written tests was troublesome. He would always sleep instead. But this girl, Maiko, didn't have an excuse for having terrible grades."

The tomboy hissed, "It wasn't my fault that Shikamaru never let me see his answers! He's right! Moving the pencil _is _troublesome!"

Asuma moved on, "I didn't quite understand that at first since he was so good at strategy games, but eventually I gave him an IQ test in the form of one of those games."

"And? How did he do?" Kurenai asked.

Maiko barked out a laugh and responded, "Shikamaru is a super genius with an IQ over 200! He's really smart! But don't tell him I said that."

The dark-haired woman leaned forward and eyed the lazy boy as he began to make a move, "200..?"

"He's done thinking.. He's about to begin!" Asuma said in a way that made it obvious that he was expecting victory.

The green-haired tomboy closed one eye, peeking out of the other to see as Shikamaru hid behind a tree while Temari attacked with her foreign fan. She closed both eyes and let out a loud sigh.

She couldn't see what he was planning, but he had something up his sleeve. It was something that would make him win.

It wasn't too long before Temari and Shikamaru were slowly making their way away from each other. The shadow controller almost had it if it hadn't been for..

"Look out, Temari! Above you!"

Maiko immediately stood and pointed an angry finger at the puppet boy in the waiting room, "HEY! SHUT THE (curse,) UP! THAT'S (curse.)ING CHEATING!"

Asuma and Kurenai looked at each other and the tomboy could hear him whisper something about kids and love.

Yes, she loved Shikamaru, but of course she didn't LOVE him romantically! He was her brother, ever since the day they met.

Memories flashed through Maiko's head and she hummed methodically in nostalgia.

But that didn't matter now, it was just all up to Shika to kick that girl into defeat! The girl shook her head in excitement ; her best friend was going to be a chunin!

"Ah! Look!" She said enthusiastically.

Shikamaru had caught Temari in his shadow possession, and now they were making their ways to one another, stopping a foot away from collision.

"YEAH! KICK HER BUTT! SMACK HER AROUND WITH HER STUPID FAN!"

Asuma and Kurenai sweat-dropped, watching Maiko cheer happily.

_He's raising his hand.. That means he's gunna slap her? WHAT A MOVE! COME ON, SHIKA!_

. . . .

. . .

"I give up. I lose."

"Winner, Temari."

. . . .

. . .

. .

.

"SHIKAMARU! WHAT THE (curse.) IS YOUR PROBLEM? YOU (curse. Curse. Curse. Curse. Curse. Curse. -

****We apologize for the inconvenience, but the curse button has been momentarily been silenced, please wait patiently, and once again, we apologize for the inconvenience.****

"(Curse. Curse. Curse. Curse.)!" Maiko finished angrily, causing those around her to slowly disperse (except for Kurenai and Asuma, who looked as though they couldn't believe she knew these words).

The confused crowd yelled out as well, though without the colorful language used by the girl with the messy hair and dark clothes. Shikamaru spoke, though it was unheard over the ruckus, in the stadium, probably explaining that he didn't want to continue, or it was too hard, or maybe even that he found that Temari was too good looking to beat up. Whatever the excuse was, Maiko wouldn't ever let him use it again.

"That complete.." She began, but stopped, taking pity on those who had to censor her words.

She crossed her arms grumpily and sighed, watching as Naruto tried to lecture him on how stupid he was being.

"I guess that's just what he would do in a situation like this."

The tomboy stood up and stretched, letting out a satisfied groan.

Asuma looked up at her wish a raised brow, "You leaving already?"

She nodded, "Yeah, I am. It's a waste of time to watch Sasuke get killed by that Gaara guy, but you know, I might stick around for a little bit."

And so, she walked away, thoughts racing through her mind, as the stage was set for the main attraction.

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><p><strong>AN:**

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**OKAY! IT'S TIME! Guys, I am very grateful for all these reviews, and I wanted to show this by taking in suggestions! Not only suggestions, but I'm going to do something special for the 20th chapter! **

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**Okay, so, here's the plan.. I'm going to do a little segment of a DATE. Whoever you guys pick, dead or alive, good or evil, whoever you want. For example, one of you could suggest, ohhh, Hiromi and Tobi on a date! BING! You got it. **

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**So feel free to drop a suggestion or two and I'll shove it into the chapter! Don't be shy ;) .. PLEASE. If I get no suggestions it'll be awkward XD No pressure i mean uhhadfgh ;aodfh **

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**DON'T FEEL OBLIGED TO LEAVE A SUGGESTION! YOU CAN DO WHATEVER YOU WANT! **

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**I love you all.. Please look forward to the next chapter! **


	20. The Dates  Bonus Chapter!

**A/N: Hello, everyone~! This is the 'Dates' chapter, and understand that these specific events may or may not be involved in the real story line. I'm thinking about it, but it'll be a real challenge! I hop you all enjoy! **

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><p><strong>BTW, I didn't do that Kurenai x Asuma date because that would be way too odd XD I have no idea how to depict them. Sorry!<strong>

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><p><strong>Please enjoy!<strong>

**The next 'real' chapter will be put up, soon!**

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><p><strong>Maiko and Shikamaru's date - Park<strong>

It was odd, this whole situation. It was actually very, very uncomfortable. In fact, Maiko could almost feel the awkwardness radiating off the two.

Beside her was her best friend, Shikamaru Nara, dressed in his average clothing. He was forced to do this, but perhaps it wouldn't be all that bad?

Maiko coughed into a fist, looking around her. She and Shikamaru were at the local park, surrounded by happy, older couples, children, and strolling old folk, all happily smiling.

"Ah.. Err.. Um.. You want to, uhh, get some ice ream?" She suggested lamely, pointing at the incoming ice cream stand.

Shikamaru shrugged and Maiko sighed. This date was not really the best idea. But, at least it was happening.

It hadn't taken much convincing. All it took was lots of begging and smiling. He eventually gave it.

The two stopped at the stand and Shikamaru purchased two chocolate ice cream cones. Maiko cursed under her breath, realizing just how well he knew her.

So, they continued their awkward stroll, quietly eating their ice cream until Maiko completely devoured hers and Shikamaru dropped his on accident.

As they walked in complete silence, the green-haired tomboy suddenly stopped, amazement and fascination in her eyes as she stared ahead.

"Hmm? What?" asked the lazy genius.

"Look! They have swings! I love swings!"

Shikamaru sighed, allowing his dark eyes to roll to the swings that were not occupied. Maiko seemed pretty interested so he might as well.. ?

"Alright, let's go.. This is such a drag."

Maiko ran to the swings, hoping on one of them and happily laughing as she was slowly making her way higher and higher into the sky.

Her lazy friend sat in the one beside her, leaning back laxly to look at the clouds. He didn't hate Maiko.. He just wanted to go home and relax. Shikamaru looked to his right at the green-haired girl who seemed very cheerful. He didn't usually see her like this, but it was nice. In a way.

Deciding it was time to make a move, the genius got up and stood behind Maiko, telling himself in his mind that this was a terrible idea and that she would not appreciate it.

But it was too late, his hands shot up and she came flying back and he gave her a considerate shove, causing her to gasp slightly and turn her to look at him as she started to go higher.

"Shika? You sure you wanna push me? I'm pretty heavy."

".. It doesn't matter."

Considering that this was his way of hanging out with her, Maiko closed her eyes and enjoyed the feeling of his hands on her back for the temporary moment.

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After the swings became uneventful, the two strolled for a little longer before realizing that they were both quite hungry. Maiko suggested a restaurant, but Shikamaru noticed a more convenient action.

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.

.

"Dangos? What the (curse.)?"

"They're sweets. Don't be so troublesome."

"Well.. Okay. If you say so."

Maiko took a bite of her freshly delivered snack before smiling widely and taking another huge bite, swallowing with a grin.

"This is awesome!"

"I guess."

"C'mon, admit it! These are delicious!"

Shikamaru watched in hidden satisfaction as his friend (girlfriend..?) hurriedly ate the treats he had purchased. He liked her.. But .. Maybe just as a friend. He slowly ate his snacks, and looked at Maiko with a bored expression when he realized that she wanted some of his food.

He rolled his eyes, "You're so troublesome."

The green-haired girl blushed when suddenly, the lazy genius (who had suddenly turned into someone of a romantic prince just for the tomboy in front of him) gently placed a dango in her mouth, looking on with such a lame expression that Maiko wondered if he even realized that he had done this.

The awkward silence engulfed them once again as they finished off their snacks and began to head home.

It was almost too soon when they arrived at the girl's house, and she frowned when Shikamaru wasn't looking.

"Umm, thanks for today!" She said, crossing her arms behind her head.

The lazy genin (Perhaps a chunin nowadays?) scratched underneath his nose, as though he was embarrassed, "Whatever. What a drag. Today was pretty troublesome.. I'll see you later, Mai."

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.

The two went home and thought over their actions, wondering what they should've done instead of this, and angrily yelling at themselves for acting foolish, unknowingly wondering if the other was interested in yet another date.

**Date.. Successful!**

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><p><strong>Kotone and Sasuke - Beach<strong>

It was awkward. Very, very, very awkward. Maybe this wasn't exactly the best decision. Sasuke had approached his victim slowly, eventually turning his invitation to dinner into a challenge for a battle, furious with himself for losing his usually cool and calm demeanor.

He was even more startled and angry when Kotone immediately told him 'no'. He had mustered up enough courage (yes, he was slightly nervous. Isn't everyone?) to ask her if she would like to go with him somewhere and before he could even smoothly tell her where they might go, she shot him down with a bland explanation of her lack of emotions.

"Go with me." Sasuke commanded fiercely, attempting to keep his cool prince-like attitude.

He was blown over when Kotone bowed politely and said, "Yes."

So, they were going on a date. The beach was not the most popular place to visit, considering it was extremely hot and no one could quite comprehend how exactly it existed, but Sasuke and Kotone looked like the most uncomfortable couple (they couldn't even be considered that. Maybe two acquaintances who happened to stumble upon one another) there. The pale girl was dressed in her usual outfit, while Sasuke wore a t-shirt and swim shorts, wondering if his date even knew the beach was meant to be enjoyed in swim wear.

"Why didn't you wear a swimsuit?" He asked stoically.

"I do not own one. I did not find it necessary."

"Well, I planned that we would swim together."

"I calculate a twenty-two percent chance that this weather will be very appropriate for swimming."

Sasuke was about to question her calculations, when suddenly almost as though someone dumped a bucket of water on him, rain fell on and drenched him and his date both.

The rest of the folk on the beach seemed to have disappeared and the rain was getting pretty bad, so the smooth genin commanded over the rain that they find shelter.

.

.

.

Eventually, the two found themselves standing, squished together, underneath a small tree, Kotone somehow calmer than Sasuke. He stood with his hand out from under their tree (yes, it was their tree now) testing to see when the rain might die down so he could maybe enjoy some time with the girl with silky white hair.

When he looked back at her, he realized that her clothes were sticking to her uncomfortably, and her legs seemed to be shivering slightly.

"Are you cold?" He asked.

"No," Kotone replied.

Her hand twisted and clenched in pain, and Sasuke wondered vaguely if she was lying.

He took off his shirt quickly, hoping no one was watching intently, and wrung it out underneath the tree, and when it was considerably dry, he wrapped it around Kotone, sitting down on the ground and patting the sand, motioning for her to follow.

The pale girl seemed unmoved by his act of kindness and sat obediently beside him, not saying a word of thanks.

Little did Sasuke know was that her mouth was open, words wanting to be said, but the action being completely unavailable.

"There is a .. forty-nine percent chance that .. I .. I believed you to be a fool when we first encountered one another."

The Uchiha looked at her in slight shock, wondering if he should address the compliment or the fact that blood was spilling out of Kotone's mouth like the rain was falling from the sky.

Slowly, he wrapped his arm around her shoulder (he had realized before that he would have to be the one to make the moves, even if it was uncomfortable. He had kissed _Naruto_; he could definitely kiss Kotone) and pulled her slightly to him, shivering mentally when he realized that she was colder than the ice water falling from the sky.

Whispered words came from her mouth and Sasuke barely heard them, "Thank you."

And there was more blood.

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By the time the rain had stopped, the Uchiha had almost fallen asleep. Kotone stood, dropping his shirt and walked away, causing him to pick up his things and follow her.

There were no other words exchanged between the two as Sasuke walked her to her apartment and walked back to his own home, unaware of the evil teal eyes following his every move..

**Date.. Successful?**

* * *

><p><strong>Hiromi and Neji - Amusement Park <strong>

It was a miracle. God was smiling upon the blonde girl with the braid and He decided that she would get the day of her dreams. She had pampered herself up, brushing her hair and teeth vigorously and dressing in her nicest, yet casual clothes. Her skirt danced around her lightly colored knees, and she had a look of pure happiness on her face.

Her partner (maybe even her boyfriend!) walked beside her, his hair in its usual tie and his clothes somewhat casual.

If only she could reach up and untie his hair.. She saw him wear it long only once, and she squeaked, blushing a dark red like a tomato before running away.

"Which ride would you like to go to first?" Neji asked, looking down at his friend with his milky eyes.

Hiromi blushed and tried to look away, but noticed her date's face when he saw hers, only causing her to look down at the ground shyly.

"Wh-wh-wh-whichever one you-you'd like to ride."

"It'd be rude for me to choose. Go on ahead and pick one."

The blonde girl scanned the surrounding rides and gulped nervously at how scary some were. But she didn't want Neji to see how wimpy she was! Bravely and abruptly, she pointed to the biggest, tallest, fastest ride she could see.

"How about tha-that one?"

Neji raised a brow at her decision. It was probably the most terrifying ride there, but.. If that's what she wanted..

"Alright. Would you like to get in line after we get some cotton candy?"

Hiromi's blush looked permanent. Did he really want to have cotton candy with her..?

"Umm, sure!"

.

.

.

The blonde girl was in heaven. She was not only on a date with Neji, but he was buying her snacks and had a look that showed a little bit of happiness! She couldn't be happier.

"Ah.. It seems I only have enough for one. Would you care to share one?"

.

.

.

.

Fireworks blew up in Hiromi's heart and she seemed to turn the brightest red possible before stuttering out an answer that was barely audible.

"I-I-I-I-I-I d-d-d-d-don't mind.."

So, he purchased one blue and pink swirled cotton candy and they carefully shared, not daring to simply eat it, but pulling off what they wanted and enjoying the snack thoroughly.

.

.

.

.

When they were finished, they threw away their trash and headed for the line for the ride that Hiromi had picked out, The Monster. Perhaps, she should've picked another ride.

Neji and Hiromi soon reached the entrance, paying (wait a second.. Didn't he not have enough to..?) the shady looking operator before taking a seat beside one another. The blonde girl's heart was so loud, she was shocked Neji didn't ask her to leave. She was so scared of heights.

The shady man from before came around and strapped everyone in with very sturdy looking seat-belt-like device. Hiromi almost threw up from pure anxiety. She glanced at Neji and realized that he was completely and utterly relaxed, looking around (sometimes at her) as though he was ready to get the ride over with.

"H-how are you n-n-not scared..?" She whispered.

Unfortunately, he heard her and turned to her with a calm expression.

"I am simply not frightened by this.. rollercoaster."

Hiromi nodded and tried to look calm as well, but failed, tears running to her eyes. She forced them back when she noticed that Neji was talking again.

"Are you scared, Sato-san?"

"A-ah, ahh, umm, a little.." She lied.

Neji gave a ghost of a smile and Hiromi's heart pounded loudly. She didn't even notice that the rollercoaster was beginning to move.

Well, for a moment, she didn't. But she gripped the seat belt (or was that a hand...? Oh dear, poor Neji) with all of her strength and closed her eyes.

"Sato-san.. I suggest you open your eyes. It's less frightening."

Hiromi's ocean blue eyes were sparkling with tears and when she opened them, she wished she hadn't.

They were tilted completely in a way they should be. Her braid was behind her, and she felt like puking. They were going up and up and up, and she felt as though it would never end.

Tightening her grip on the seat belt, which seemed to hold her hand back, Hiromi took a few deep breathes and tried not to close her eyes, or look outside the cart they were in.

Suddenly, they stopped, and when the blonde looked around worriedly, wondering if the ride was broken and she was going to die, Neji spoke in a relaxed tone (but something.. Was he.. scared?).

"The roller coaster is about to move very quickly, I suggest you hold on."

Hiromi nodded at him and almost fainted when she realized that her hand was intertwined with his, and he looked away, as though he was embarrassed. She squealed happily in her mind, but all of her thoughts stopped as the ride began.

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Up, down, loop-d-loops, spins, swirls, spirals, frightening upside-down moments, and even sharp turns that caused Hiromi's stomach to churn. The Monster, was a complete monster.

The blonde girl did not scream, surprisingly. She kept her eyes open, and mouth closed, and bit her tongue. Neji seemed almost.. picturesque. He was so perfect. He was so composed as they went through yet another swirl and a few girls in front of them screamed loudly.

The rollercoaster eventually ended, and when Hiromi and Neji got out, the girl's knees felt like Jell-O. Embarrassingly, she stumbled forward and accidentally bumped into her date, who steadied her balance with a kind ghost of a smile.

"So, which ride would you like to go on next? I must admit, you picked.. an interesting ride."

Hiromi watched as Neji stumbled a little bit and the slight imperfection caused her to swoon. She steadied him as he did her, and giggled.

"I suppose it wasn't exactly the best choice.. You can pick the next one.."

"Well, alright, then.. how about that right there?"

"Oh, okay! That doesn't look too scary!"

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The day went on, and the couple went on lots of smaller rides, and the final ride of the evening, turned out to be the Ferris wheel. Neji led her into the seat and the woman operator buckled them in, instructing them both to not rock the seat. They were slowly lifted into the air, much to Hiromi's surprise, and soon, they were looking down upon the beautiful evening view of Konohagakure.

Lights shined everywhere, and Hiromi let out a "Wow" of amazement. Lamps danced across the village and the small buildings were almost shocking.

"I haven't been here in a while, so I'd completely forgotten what a beautiful view this was," Hiromi said sweetly, smiling softly.

Neji had the ghost of a smile on his face as well, "Yes, I suppose I haven't visited the amusement park in a while. I'm truly.. glad I came here today."

The girl with the braid blushed. He was happy that he came here with her..

"I-.. I'm glad you invited me.. Tha-thank you."

The two sat in silence for the rest of the ride, the silence being comfortable as they pointed out buildings and their own homes as they slowly descended.

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The ground felt abnormal as Neji and Hiromi stumbled off the Ferris wheel. There were no more rides, so the two walked to the entrance, and eventually began making their way to Hiromi's house.

"I.. I am very appreciative that you agreed to come with me," the Hyuuga said softly.

His date with the kind blue eyes smiled, "It was very fun. Thank you for taking me. I really.. enjoyed it."

They looked into each other's eyes for a moment before Hiromi blushed and looked away, and at that exact moment, lips pressed against her cheek.

"Thank you.. Sato-san."

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This was no feeling that could be explained in words. Only in actions. But I shall try.

The blonde girl felt as though she was about to faint. Her face became warmer than the sun and she turned to look at Neji, who was looking up and avoiding eye contact. He seemed.. so .. human. For so long, she had pictured him to be an angel, no, a god of beauty, but with such human actions.. She felt as though she could -

"Huh? Kiba? What are you doing here so late?"

Over Neji's shoulder, she could see her childhood friend, who stood with a blank expression and something behind his back. Akamaru seemed to growl angrily.

"I came.." He was gritting his teeth, "to deliver something."

Suddenly, he was advancing towards the couple and almost like Hiromi blinked, Kiba punched Neji in the face. Her hands flew up to her mouth, but her eyes fell on what was behind her brunette friend's back. It was an adorable present, a small stuffed puppy that had a bow around its neck.

"Wha-..?" The blonde was about to ask if it was for her, but she realized now wasn't the time.

She pulled the two apart (Neji seemed to be calm and relaxed still, but he looked.. angry. Like a god of power and beauty. She should really stop with the god stuff..) and stood between them.

"Cut it out!" Hiromi said loudly.

Her furious expression was new to both of the males, but Kiba growled right at Neji, ignoring her completely.

"What the (curse.) do you think you're doing?"

The Hyuuga responded calmly, "I was just walking Sato-san home. In fact, since we're here, I was just leaving."

Hiromi sadly watched as Neji nodded to her and left, walking away, but still leaving a numbing feeling on the girl's face. She was so.. happy. He _kissed _her! On the cheek! That was soooo close to her mouth! It was.. almost a real kiss!

Suddenly, she turned and glared at Kiba, who seemed to be glaring back. He still had the present behind his back.

"What the heck, Kiba?" She asked.

It was meant to be said angrily, but it came out in a cracked manner, making it obvious she was about to burst into tears.

Kiba's expression immediately changed from angry, to upset and hurt. He reached forward to put a hand on his friend's shoulder, but she smacked his hand way, tears beginning to pile up in her blue orbs.

"Wh-.. Wh-.. Why?" She asked in a pathetic manner.

"Hiromi.. I-" Kiba couldn't speak.

The blonde girl turned away and ran to her door, opening it and closing it softly behind her.

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Kiba looked down at the toy in his hand, Akamaru sniffing it with a whimper.

"What have I done.. Akamaru?"

**Date... Successful?**

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><p><strong>Kotone and Itachi - Restaurant <strong>

It was extremely uncomfortable. How a class-S criminal and a genin ended up on a date together in a restaurant was beyond logic. It was almost funny, seeing the man dressed in black and the girl dressed in white stare at the entrance to the French restaurant, sometimes stealing glances at each other as if it was a test.

"I calculate a fifty-two percent chance that if we are to ever enter this building, it should occur soon."

Itachi stared down at Kotone, wondering in the back of his mind why she was so silent.. And most importantly.. Why wasn't his Sharingan working on her?

The two eventually made their way into the restaurant and sat a table made perfectly for two. Neither of them looked at the menu; they just looked into each other's eyes intensely. It was extremely awkward for the waiter who stood in a forced bow, wondering if they would ever order.

When they didn't even say anything to him, he disappeared (after at least twenty minutes of trying to get their attention without moving, like coughing, choking, etc.) and Itachi and Kotone were left to stare at one another.

The night continued like this until the sun was beginning to disappear completely and Itachi's stomach was making vague growling noises. He was human and he needed food, but somehow, getting a meal looked like defeat in his mind. So he kept quiet.

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"S-sir, ma-ma'am.. We're closing.. I'm afraid you have to leave." The waiter anxiously rocked back and forth on his heels.

The two odd customers got up and left the restaurant, Kotone not bothering to thank Itachi, and Itachi not bothering to walk Kotone home.

**Date... Failure!**

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><p><strong>Maiko and Hidan - Arcade <strong>

Once again, it was very, very awkward. The cursing criminal and the grumpy girl seemed to be one of the same, but they glared at each other in a still silence. Hidan was the first to speak.

"Why the (curse.) am I (curse.)ing stuck with a little (curse. Curse. Curse.) like you, (curse.)!"

Maiko growled, "Shut the (curse.)ing (curse.) up! I didn't (curse.)ing decide to (curse)ing be here, you (curse. Curse. Curse)! I was (curse.)ing forced!"

"What the (curse.) did you (curse.)ing call me, you little (curse.)ing (curse. Curse. Curse.)?"

Mothers covered their childrens' ears, hastily making their way out of the arcade as the bickering siblings at the front of the building began shouting, using curse word after curse word. At once point, all the employees ran to the bathroom as the little sister began to tell her big brother just how small she thought his (curse.) was and how he was being a (curse.).

The outcome was very horrifying.

"I called you a (curse,)ing (curse. Curse. Curse.), you (curse.)ing (curse. Curse. Curse.)!"

"Don't make me (curse.)ing (curse.) you, you (curse. Curse. Curse.)! I will (curse.)ing tear you a part!"

"You know what? (Curse.)ing (curse.) you! I'm going to enjoy my (curse.)ing time at the (curse.)ing arcade, (curse. Curse.)!"

As Maiko attempted to walk away, suddenly, a pair of handcuffs attached her to Hidan, who was also trying to run away. They slammed back into each other and glared, the S-class criminal about to curse again when the tomboy genin sighed.

"Just calm the (curse.) down. Since we can't leave, I'm guessing, let's just (curse.)ing play these (curse.)ing games. Alright?"

Hidan frowned and glared with his pinkish orbs before cursing again, completely disagreeing.

"(Curse.) no, you little (curse.)! I'm getting the (curse.) out of here!"

"Hey! Wait you little-!"

Maiko and Hidan were slammed back by an invisible force as they attempted to escape.

"WHAT THE-!"

****We apologize for the inconvenience. We're afraid that our censoring machine has been overrun. Please enjoy these lyrics during your wait.****

_You're walking in the woods. _

_There's no one around, and your phone is dead. _

_Out of the corner of your eye.. _

_You spot him._

_(Shia LaBeouf.)_

_. . ._

_He's following you, about thirty feet back. _

_He gets down on all fours and breaks into a sprint._

_He's gaining on you._

_Shia LaBeouf. _

_You're looking for your car- _

****Thank you for your patience. Please enjoy the rest of the date. Once again, we apologize.****

"You know what? I'm leaving! I'm (curse.)ing leaving!"

"Good! I (curse.)ing dislike you, you little (curse.)!"

**Date... EPIC FAILURE.**

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><p><strong>Temari and Shikamaru - Movie theatre <strong>

It was alright, in all honesty. Sure, she'd rather be polishing her fan, or even talking to Kankuro, who seemed terrified of women after his encounter with the pale girl with the powerful gusts created by seemingly absolutely nothing.

Anyways, Temari and Shikamaru stood in line to see what seemed like an action movie. She told him to pick, and he told her to pick. So they just ended up buying tickets and standing in this huge line, filled with people from ages three to thirty.

Eventually, they ended up sitting beside one another and watching the trailers, adding thoughtless comments and dull conversation stirred. When suddenly..

"Shikamaru? What the (curse.) are you doing here? I thought you said you hated action movies?"

A young girl with almost fiery green hair was standing in the aisle, staring with a confused expression at her best friend.

Temari flinched mentally. Were they.. dating? Was she taking this girl's man away from her?

She accidentally (purposefully, actually) touched Shikamaru's leg. Oh well. The green-haired punk would just have to deal with it.

Why would such a lazy genius want to hang out with her anyways? She had tons of piercings along her eyebrows, and it looked like she was wearing extremely dark clothes with long sleeves.

No, Temari didn't like Shikamaru. She just was .. curious about him. She wanted to know their relationship, and when she realized that they were talking to each other vividly (or at least, as vivid as Shikamaru gets) and in a friendly manner.

"The movie's starting," Temari said sternly.

Maiko seemed to look at her curious before realization slapped her in the face and she glared. What the (curse.) was Shikamaru doing with this girl? Hadn't he been satisfied with _their _date a few days before? Was it because Temari was prettier than her? Was it because she had longer hair?

The tomboy lowered her head before shaking it and smirking. No way. Shika would never do that! She bid her friend farewell before sitting a few rows behind them, and then, the movie began.

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Shikamaru yawned impolitely as Temari snorted at one of the lame parts (a car exploding.. again). She discretely peeked back at Maiko, who seemed a little bit too into the movie.

The Sand sibling smirked before leaning towards her date and whispering a humorous comment about the movie, then lingering for a little longer, making sure that the tomboy could see.

Temari leaned back into her own seat and snuck a glance at Maiko. She looked _furious. _She glared daggers into the Sand girl's skull, and _that _was exactly how the entire movie went.

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The date was lame, in all honestly. Shikamaru didn't walk her home and didn't buy her a drink or a snack. He seemed asleep half the movie, making Temari's game with Maiko even more fun.

The tomboy was fuming when she left the movie theatre, ranting to Shikamaru about how much of a jerk he was, the genius looking at her with little understanding.

They were much more than friends, Temari noted as she started walking to her apartment. They were closer than any other people she'd seen before. Perhaps.

**Date... Failure?**

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><p><strong>AN :**

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**Please look forward to the real update, which will hopefully occur soon! Also, I will be having another one of these 'bonus' chapters in the future, so go on and submit as many suggestions and requests as you like! Bye-bye!**


	21. Chapter 20

**A/N: MOTHER OF GODDD. I'm sorry XD I did all of this, had my chapter all fixed up and pretty, then I DELETED IT ON ACCIDENT. goijadg';akjdfg;lkajsdf. Anyways, thank you all for being so patient with me ;)**

**I'm going to try a new little format. sorta. **

**Thanks to.. **

******[Reviewers]**

****{bored411} - Yeah, Kankuro's a big chicken c: Oh, it didn't have to be your favorite :0 Just a random one! Anyways, I'll probably be doing another one in the future :3 I hope you enjoy this chapter!

{Avid Reader ()} - It is so hot in this room it's not even funny :c Anyways, thanks for the warning, I guess..? But I think I'll be okay ;) Thank you for your kindness, though.

{suzie1107} - Aww, thank you c; there was a date between Itachi and Kotone, so I hope that's okay :D HECK YEAAUuHHH! She'll kick his butt as soon as he appears again XD Thank you for reading c: I hope you enjoy this chapter!

{animegirl3774} - :O Don't be! You don't have to if you don't want to :) That date was A LOT of fun to write XD I'm sorry for not doing the Kurenai and Asuma thing :c I'm not good with them.. I just can't really picture them! That one was fun toooo! XD I had SOOOO much fun :) Thank you! Thank you for reviewing and reading!

{animegirl3774} - [Date Chapter] - Really :DD YAYAYAYA! That is so very kind of you XD Here's an update as thanks! Thank you so much!

{MaoIsSleepy} - I did! XD I loved it sooo much! I had tons of fun with all the couples you suggested :) We..? There's more than one :0? :3 Thank you! I hope you enjoy this chapter, tooooo!

{MaoIsSleepy} - [Date Chapter] - o.o You are.. so kind! Thank you so much! I'll be sure to blow your mind more often! Or at least try to :0 Thank you for reading and reviewing!

{Tough chick} - Thanks?

{Tough chick} - [Date Chapter] - Thank you very much c: I'm glad you thought that! Please do read and enjoy this chapter!

{Animefangirl95} - Aww, I'm sorry :c That never happens to me :0 I am so grateful! I hope it fixes itself :) Aww, thank you :) I would be excited, too :DDDD aww don't be scared XD She's not mean.. or nice.. Oh well XD Hiromi... I pictured her kinda like the young Sakura. Personality wise :3 Thank you :DDDD That's very sweet!

It's never too late :D THAT IS A WONDERUS idea XD I'm going to use it. I swear. I will. I SWEAR. One day XD Anyways, thanks for everyting!

{Animefangirl95} - [Date Chapter] - LOLOLOLOLOLOL was that mean of me to do XD I was having too much fun to notice! Here's your update, sweetie XD Thank youuu!

**/Alerts\**

****[Eveilyn14] - Thank you sweetie c:

[sunshinekitties] - Thank you very much kitties :D

[Animefangirl95] - Thank you so very much darling XD

**{Favoritings}**

****/sunshinekitties\ - Thank you adpgjadogj XD

/XOtaku17\ - Omg i'm an otaku too XD Anyways, thank you for everything :)

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><p><strong>You are all so sweet :D I love all of you!<strong>

**Thank you, readers, reviewers, alerter, favoriters. I love you all ;)**

**Once again, thank you for being so patient with me. I hope you enjoy this chapter :)**

****(P.S. - I don't own Naruto :D Just my OC's.)

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><p>The crowd became louder and talkative with anxiety and excitement. Sasuke Uchiha and Gaara were up next. It was a moment thousands had been looking forward to. Bets had been placed, and the battle was soon to begin. If Sasuke were to arrive.<p>

Feudal lords looks antsy, eyeing whoever was around them, as though wishing their money back, and those who left their jobs to come watch began to regret that loss, sighing and pulling their hair.

Maiko was on her way out, but had stopped, leaning against a wall and eyeing the arena with curiosity. How was the Uchiha going to smooth talk his way out of this one?

Kotone stood perfectly still, watching with no hint of interest, as the fellow nin stood in the center of the arena, a stifling silence engulfing only them. Would the boy show up and defeat Gaara?

It was then, when all voices had roared, that a single leaf became a tornado of leaves, and suddenly, there they were. Sasuke and Kakashi, their backs to one another.

The crowd went silent, shock stilling their minds.

"I'm sorry we're late," Kakashi said smoothly.

"Name?" asked Genma.

The genin smirked, "Uchiha Sasuke."

The men and women in the audience screamed, yelled, shouted, and cheered in excitement. The main event was about to happen! It was time for the match of a lifetime! Voices rang out and bawls roared loudly. The anticipation was palpable.

Kotone stood in the waiting room, watching as Gaara's eyes filled with evil and bloodlust. She took back what she had said once before; their eyes were nothing alike. She lacked such foolish unnecessary qualities. It was foolish.

She watched him stroll out of the waiting room, almost being engaged in conversation by his teammate, Kankuro, but the girl, Temari, stopped him, telling him he would die if he engaged Gaara. Something stirred in Kotone, and in the back of her mind, there was the urge to shove the puppet master into his murderer friend. The emotion sent pain coursing through the girl's body, and she threw the thought away.

The Sand nin disappeared, and the crowd settled down, its loud roar dying down to shouts instead of shrieks. Maiko was close to the exit now, slowly inching her way to home, but had stopped to stare at the murderous boy who had made his way to the center of the arena. He stopped his advance and the stiffness was felt throughout the arena. It was finally beginning.

It was then that the audience's cheers died down to simple murmurs. No loud yells would interrupt this match, or at least, any yells coming from the crowd. Genma was explaining the rules, and it was obvious what he was saying.

"The rules are the same as the preliminaries. You fight until one of you dies, gives up, or I decide the match is over."

The crowd cheered loudly once again, as the two boys glared into each other's eyes, obeying when they were told to move to the center. Silence engulfed the two. Genma raised his arm, and then quickly sliced it down, saying the word that had been anticipated for quite a bit.

"Begin."

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><p><strong>P.O.V. change - Hiromi<strong>

**~.~**

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Hiromi was almost sick with anxiety. It was almost painful. She knew. She knew who this man was. It was too late for her to warn anyone. He could've poisoned Hinata for all she knew. But.. She swallowed nervously, walking with Kiba as they approached the ANBU to thank him for healing Hinata, who was resting with Shino at her side. It was Kabuto. But how could she explain? She was too scared.. Of what he may do to Kiba and herself. And he knew of her fear, looking her in the eye through his mask as he healed her best friend, almost mocking her with an invisible smirk.

The blonde girl swallowed again, her throat feeling sore.

"Thanks, ANBU guy." Kiba said laxly.

"... Ki..Kiba.." Hiromi whispered, praying Kabuto didn't hear her.

Unfortunately, neither did Kiba.

"The medical nin nearby told me that Hinata would be just fine as long as she stays quiet."

"Really.." Kabuto replied.

Hiromi reached forward to grab her friend's sleeve, to warn him of the dangers the silver-haired male would bring, but she hesitated. It was.. too stupid of a move. She gulped again, but this time, she tugged on Kiba's sleeve, drawing his attention only for a second, before it was thrown to another; Akamaru.

He growled viciously before barking multiple times. It was his way of communicating with Kiba. And Hiromi let tears build up in her eyes when she realized that he must've realized it as well.

"You know him? What are you talking about? He's an ANBU." Kiba asked.

But now what? Hiromi asked herself nervously. There was no way for her to fight Kabuto. Even if he did leave the chunin exams, even if he always failed; he was too much for Hiromi to handle. She could tell.

The blonde girl stepped forward, "N-no."

The 'ANBU' turned around and face the two genin. It was now or never. Akamaru barked viciously some more times, and Hiromi nodded, not knowing, but somewhat understanding what he must be saying.

"N-no.. We met him during the exam."

Kiba turned to face his friend with a confusion expression, "What? What does that mean?"

Before Hiromi could reply, Kabuto held up a hand glowing with chakra. The girl's breath seemed to stop and her knees shook.

"This is what it means."

The silver-haired man stepped forward, advancing towards Kiba, but the girl with the majestic braid made no move to stop him, her eyes seemingly shrunken by her frightened state. Kabuto palmed Kiba in the chest, causing him to collapse, then turned towards Hiromi, whose knees clacked together.

"You knew."

"I-..I did."

And suddenly, everything was dark.

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><p><strong>P.O.V. change - Hanako<strong>

**~.~**

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The match was tense. Sasuke attacked immediately, seemingly outsmarted by the redhead's sand defense. He moved as fast as Rock Lee, landing a good punch on Gaara almost seconds after the match began.

Hanako smirked behind her fan, fanning herself vaguely. So this was the power of the Uchiha's? Wasn't so much to brag about. Her smirk disappeared and a thin frown replaced it as the boy once again hit the Sand nin, sending him backwards. Maybe it was just because this kid is weak?

Her beautiful eyes sharpened and she leaned forward. That Sasuke kid was moving just like Guy's student, with the same weird haircut! In fact.. the way he ran around the kid so quickly in circles.. Kakashi must've trained him.

Hanako laughed elegantly. Yes, that was it. She watched with interest as Sasuke kneed Gaara in the stomach. He was just copying poor little Lee. It must be frustrating knowing that the Uchiha mastered his moves only by looking at them with his Sharingan. She knew it was infuriating to her whenever she battled that silver-haired jounin.

The battle raged on, and the Sand nin had engulfed himself in a ball of sand. When Sasuke hit it, spikes activated and it was obvious they had sliced into his skin. The redhead must've used his chakra to harden it.

The Uchiha backed up and by the smirk on his face, he had a plan. When he was positioned high on the wall, Hanako smirked as well. So, this was why Kakashi and his little student were so late. No wonder. That jutsu takes a while to complete. She should know.

The lightning burst almost happily from his hand and the jounin with dark hair hid her ecstatic expression behind her fan. So this.. is what he can do. She knew at first sight that Sasuke was very much like Kakashi.

He ran at an incredible speed towards the defense mechanism of sand, and when he reached his destination, the boy thrust his hand into it, successfully dodging some spikes.

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Then it happened.

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><p><strong>P.O.V. change - Kotone<strong>

**~.~**

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A scream, a blood-curdling scream, from inside the sand shield. It was Gaara of the Sand.

"Blood! My blood!"

Kotone felt her master laugh, laugh heartily, mocking the boy who was once so full of himself he tried to kill her master's creation.

She watched with dead eyes as Sasuke struggled to get his hand out of the sand, and when he did, his Sharingan eyes widened and he back flipped away, a hand of a demon clutching his arm for a moment.

The limb sucked itself back to Gaara, and Kotone turned to face the other two Sand nin. They looked frightened, terrified even. Frozen in fear.

A small hole was left behind in the sand shield, and it was obvious that the only one who could see inside was Sasuke. His eyes widened and he seemed to shake. A feeling of.. bloodlust and dread.

The shield was beginning to crack, and almost in a flash, it seemed to melt, softened from its hardened form, and slipping to the ground in a puddle-like fashion, leaving a Gaara who seemed to be clutching a bloody wound, his face not in Kotone's visual.

He lifted his eyes, and it became obvious he was unstable, his blue eyes filled with shock, anger, and pure bloodlust. It was a palpable feeling that Kotone was beginning to recognize as Gaara's signature.

She waited for the next move to occur, but it seemed as though the two were frozen in a staring contest.

Then, in the slightest of movements, feathers, almost like someone had ripped open thousands of pillows and let their insides float down, fell from nowhere, and it was obvious that it was an illusionary technique, released to make everyone in the arena fall asleep.

Kotone looked around, analyzing the situation quickly, and immediately, her white eyes fell upon where the Hokage was located, a smoke bomb having had gone off. There was a one hundred percent chance.. that the Kazekage was attempting to kill the Hokage. It was inevitable. In fact, her master knew about it all along.

She stepped onto the railing, taking note of the fact that Temari and Kankuro had leapt down to their little brother. She looked up at where the Kazekage stood, a kunai to the Hokage's neck, and a barrier around them the color of violet. It seemed as though an attack on all Konohagakure was taking place.

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**Seems.. kind of .. interesting, don't you think?**

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><p><strong>P.O.V. change - No one<strong>

**~.~**

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"How unlucky."

Kakashi turned and didn't show his relief to see his friend, Hanako, gently prodding the sleeping Naruto with her foot. He figured she knew about the ANBU enemy.

"They're going to be everywhere, Kakashi. I hope you know that. Attacking the Hokage obviously means that there's going to be a war. I can only pray that while we're here, a talented someone is out there, protecting our walls."

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Kotone looked down into the arena, noticing the gathering of nin. She leapt down quickly, the wind balancing her gently and keeping her from injuring herself. She walked very slowly to Sasuke's side, not saying a single word to him, but staring blankly at the Sand nin ahead of her.

They spoke of a plan as though they were late for something, and Gaara was their only way of getting there. The man with the odd covering on his face said that he was a trump card. It was immediately obvious what Gaara was.

"A Jinchuuriki as a trump card. An intelligent, but foolish move indeed."

The shinobi looked up at her with looks of confusion.

"There is a eighty-nine percent chance that I am correct. The one who knows all supplies my knowledge to me.. I highly recommend you do not try and take this Uchiha on, or the proctor, Genma. You will only be making a fool of yourself."

Gaara's eyes lifted to meet hers, but Kotone spoke none of him. Her eyes were locked with Kankuro's, who was supporting the redhead as he stood.

"You think you can have this go your way?" asked Genma.

"I will make it happen," the older Sand nin replied.

They stood in a tense silence, three leaf ninja on one side, and four Sand nin on the other. Would they win if they went into battle? Perhaps. There was a fifty percent chance.

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"Go!" The Sand nin yelled, and almost too quickly, the three others leapt over, and out of the arena.

Kotone stood stiffly, her master silent.

"Is Orochimaru the promoter of this party?" Genma asked.

The senbon in his mouth made him look no more frightening than a wet kitten. He would not be able to defeat this man. It was surely bound to tip in the enemy's favor.

"I don't know," the Sand nin lied, "Let's just enjoy this for now."

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Genma turned slightly to face the two genin behind him.

"Sasuke," he began, "The Chuunin Exams end here. Sorry. But you are chuunin level already."

He then addressed both of them, "If you're a ninja of Konoha, be useful to Konoha."

Sasuke replied, "So you want me to resume my fight with Gaara, then? And win?"

Genma nodded, "That's right. Don't chase him too far, though. This isn't an exam anymore. This is the real thing."

The Uchiha frowned, "It's the same thing!"

He got up, grabbing Kotone's wrist, and ran towards one of the walls, taking her with him. Two kunai flew in their direction, but Genma cancelled them out with his own. When they reached the wall, Sasuke was about to leap up, but Kotone stopped him.

"Allow me, it will transport us faster."

She placed her pale hands on the ground (no hand signs..?) and suddenly, a whirlwind picked them off the ground and gently tossed them over the wall, almost in a magical fashion.

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Hanako frowned, putting away her fan in a womanly manner, taking note of the fact that the only ones awake were herself, Sakura, Guy, and Kakashi. Or at least, as far as she could tell.

"They have quite a number of people," Kakashi pointed out.

"We were too careless," Guy added, "and they even have the Hokage.."

He and Hanako both turned to spare the violet field a glance, but they both were unprepared for what they saw.

"Kaksahi, look!" The woman with dark hair commanded quickly.

It was very obvious that the man holding the Hokage (how they were able to see his features so clearly from so far away was almost impossible to grasp, but oh well) was the pale snake man, Orochimaru. Hanako growled out his name, and watched as the Sound nin beside the fake ANBU launched their attack, aiming for Kakashi's student. Immediately, she yanked out her fan and threw it like a shuriken, canceling out the weapons the enemies threw almost immediately.

"Why don't you stay there for a moment, pinkie," the woman said with a smile, taking out a kunai from who knows where, "I'm going to go on ahead and help you guys take these Musical idiots down."

She propelled herself off the ground and kicked one of the incoming Sound nin in the face, causing Sakura to gape in awe at the woman's strength, watching the man go flying backwards.

Hanako launched herself into a full-fledged uppercut, almost like the one Naruto performed on Neji earlier, sending an enemy soaring upwards, and she disappeared, and almost immediately, she reappeared above him, landing another punch to the face, sending him flying back down to earth.

After he impacted with the hard ground, she poised herself to attack another approaching enemy, instantly wondering where in the world they were coming from.

"This will be too easy, fighting these Hidden Village wanna-be's. In fact.. This isn't even fun!" Hanako smirked madly, causing Sakura to press herself up against her seat in fear.

She sent another human flying, the same mad smirk on her face, but calmed down considerably when she landed near Sakura and listened in to Kakashi's orders to her.

"Use the dispel technique and wake Naruto and Shikamaru."

Hanako looked around for Hiromi, wondering if she should tell her to wake up the blonde girl as well, but saw her nowhere, sweat-dropping when she saw a tuft of green amongst the fallen citizens.

"Naruto will rejoice. It's his first real mission in a long time."

The pink-haired genin frowned, "Mission?"

"Proceed with caution," Kakashi continued, "This is an A-ranked mission, like the one in the Land of Waves."

Hanako twitched when she saw the tuft of green get stepped on roughly by one of the attacking Sound nin.

"What do you mean an A-ranked mission? What are we supposed t do?" Sakura asked, her voice quickly getting on the dark-haired woman's nerves.

"Sasuke and Kotone went after Gaara and the others. Sakura, dispel the technique on Shikamaru and Naruto.. and go after the two of them."

Hanako held in a gasp, "Kotone went with him? She wouldn't ever do something so.. heroic."

"But if that's the case, I should wake Choji and Ino and some others and take a bigger group!" Sakura protested.

"There are already many Sound and Sand nin in the village, like Hanako said. Any more movement than with four people, a simple platoon, will result in a decrease in swiftness and it will become more difficult to conceal yourself from the enemy."

"You have to take Maiko with you," Hanako spoke up, "Decrease in swiftness my (curse.). She's not going to lay down and be useless. Especially since Kotone is out there, fighting off that monster because somehow she was able to grow a pair and do something of her own free will."

Kakashi sighed, keeping the fact that Sasuke dragged her with him a secret, "We learned this in the academy, Hanako. Sakura won't be waking Maiko. She'll have to stay here."

"She isn't staying here, you (curse.)! She's going with your little group whether you like it or not!"

"Wait a second," Sakura pitched in, "since it's a squad of four, she can't come, since you're coming, right, Kakashi-sensei?"

Hanako hissed. Stupid brat.

"No, I can't leave here."

She deflected a weak kunai nonchalantly, watching as Kakashi used his summoning jutsu. It was still a little funny to her, that such a powerful ninja signed a contract with a bunch of puppies, but they were powerful.

A small dog appeared on an unconscious man's back, his pug-like face making it obvious that he wasn't one of the powerful dogs Hanako was thinking of.

"Pakkun here will chase Sasuke by using his scent."

Sakura gasped, "Our other teammate is a puppy?"

Hanako scoffed, "Maiko may not be smart, but she's better than some stupid mutt!"

In the corner of her eyes, she saw Shikamaru flinch, and smirked. He was awake. What a lazy (curse.). The dog jumped to Sakura and talked rudely to her, not surprising Hanako at all, since she had already encountered the puppy before.

"Hey, little girl. Don't call me a cute puppy."

"Okay, Sakura," Kakashi began, "Go on ahead and wake up Shikamaru and Naruto."

The pink-haired girl nodded and went off to her friends' aid, causing Hanako to growl at her laid-back partner.

"You complete dolt! Didn't I tell you to wake up Maiko, too?"

"Like I said, a four person platoon. Are you saying Pakkun doesn't count?"

Hanako snarled, "Of course he doesn't! He's a stupid mutt! He doesn't count as a person! Akamaru might, but that doesn't mean Pugly does!"

Kakashi sighed, "Darling, can't you listen to me for once?"

Vaguely, Hanako noticed Sakura look over at them with curiosity, before carrying out her orders and waking Naruto. The beautiful jounin 'accidentally' crushed Kakashi's foot with her own and hissed at him.

"No, I won't, _honey_. You better (curse.)ing listen to me for once, _sweetie_, before I make sure you will never, _ever_ be able to have children. You got that, _babe_?"

The Copycat ninja smiled underneath his mask, "Well, if you put it that way, love. You'll have to bring her up here, but be careful. We can't have any of these fake ANBU following them and trying to sneak in an attack. You understand?"

Hanako smirked before nodding, bolting off in the direction of her student. When she reached the tomboy, she picked her up by her collar, but quickly figured that was a bad idea considering her shirt was so big and baggy it almost slipped off the small girl's body.

A Sound nin immediately attacked, sending a couple of kunai in her direction. A plan formed almost too quickly in the woman's mind, and she tossed Maiko carelessly into the kunai's path, letting them slicing through her clothing and send her backwards, pinning her to a wall vaguely close to Sakura.

She sighed, "I'm a (curse.)ing genius."

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><p><strong>P.O.V. change - Maiko<strong>

**~.~**

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Her eyes peeled open slowly, looking around her with a confused expression that could hardly be explained.

"What the..? What's happening? What's going on?"

She looked around, noticing Sakura and Naruto, and what looked like a sleeping Shikamaru. When she looked down, she noticed two of three kunai piercing through her shirt. She yanked them out, taking note of the fact that whoever threw them at her didn't want her to get cut. Her shirt was ruined though, that's for sure.

"This was my favorite one, too.." She sighed.

"Okay, good, you're awake, now I just have to wake Shikamaru up and I can explain everything," Sakura said quickly.

She crawled over to Shikamaru and formed a hand sign before frowning, noticing that he flinched vaguely.

"Shikamaru.. You've been awake."

Maiko eyed the small dog at the pink-haired girl's side, and frowned.

"What the heck.. Is a puppy doing here?"

It sunk its teeth into Shikamaru's leg and immediately, the lazy genin 'awoke' and waved his leg around wildly.

"OW!"

Sakura growled at him, "You dispelled the technique a long time ago, didn't you? Why the heck were you pretending to be asleep?"

The genius yanked the dog off of his leg, holding it up in front of him and quickly torturing the pug by yanking on its face.

"I don't want to get involved in this. I'm not doing anything for you guys. I don't care about Sasuke."

Maiko blinked owlishly. What happened to the Uchiha? She looked over at the arena and noticed it was practically empty. What.. happened? When she looked back, her best friend was waving his hand around just like earlier, with the dog hanging on by his teeth. Two kunai collided overhead, and the green-haired tomboy frowned, looking around at all the sleeping figures.

"What's.. going on?" Naruto asked.

Before an answer could be given, a ninja (a.. Sound headband? What?) appeared behind the blonde boy, kunai raised with intent to kill.

"Naruto, look out!" Sakura cried, but the man was smashed against a wall by a flash of green and sparkles, Guy-sensei soon showing his .. tightly clad figure.

He said something that sounded like bragging before using his strength and shoving the Sound nin completely through the wall, creating a small opening.

"Guy-sensei!" Sakura exclaimed.

Maiko looked around, her eyes giving off the vision of being swirls.

"What the (curse.) is going on?"

Kakashi-sensei, the smooth talker who appeared to always have his masked nose in a porno book, appeared in front of the group of five, if one were to include to small puppy still at Shika's side.

"I'll tell you your mission now," He began, his tone serious, "Once it's explained fully, go out of the arena through that opening. Go after Sasuke and Kotone. Once you catch them, stop them, then await further orders in a safe place."

Maiko frowned, "What? What happened to Cockatoo?"

Naruto nodded, "Yeah, what happened to Sasuke?"

Sakura crawled to the hole in the wall, "I'll explain while we move."

She reached out and grabbed Naruto before disappearing, leaving the two jounin and two genin.

"Geez, why me?" Shikamaru asked grumpily.

The dog by his side spoke, not at all fazing anyone. Maiko guessed that talking dogs was normal. In the back of her mind, she wondered why Akamaru couldn't talk.

"Hey, kid!"

"Eh?"

"If you succeed, I'll let you touch my paws."

Maiko sighed. This mission didn't sound worth it. Sasuke was a stuck-up 'avenger' with a pole stuck up his (curse.), always acting like he had something to prove; he's better than everyone else. Shikamaru groaned.

"Look," the dog held up one paw, "It's soft and bouncy."

"Soft and bouncy?" Shikamaru repeated with a disgusted expression.

Maiko couldn't help but snicker, whispering under her breath, "That's what she said."

Kakashi sent her a vague grin (it was strained because of his wish to be serious, but, you know, it was also underneath a mask. It could've been a frown for all she knew).

"Actually, it's.." The dog continued, "_Really _soft and bouncy!"

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Shikamaru had his arm slightly lifted, and Maiko vaguely wondered if he was being tempted by some pup's paw.

The dog sighed, "Let's just go."

The lazy genius was bitten yet again and he looked at Maiko with a frown.

"If I'm going, you're coming, too."

"What? When the (curse.) was that decided?" The tomboy growled.

Shikamaru reached out and grabbed a fistful of her hair, causing her to stumble out of the opening in the wall, looking around for a way to stay, but her odd eyes met Hanako-sensei's and she stared for a moment before disappearing.

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"Will they be okay?" Guy asked.

Kakashi nodded, "They've got Pakkun.. They'll be fine."

He glanced at Hanako, who seemed to be clenching her fists uncomfortably.

"As long as they don't pursue the enemy too far."

The beautiful woman with dark hair gritted her teeth. Why..? Why would Kotone go do something so.. out of character? It's almost as if that puppet guy made her.. angry. But Kotone never acts upon her emotions.. If she has any..

The jounin vaguely remember her reaction when the puppet man fought his match in the preliminaries. The railing where her hands were was completely crushed.. But why?

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"(Curse.) that Sasuke! He got too hasty!"

Shikamaru asked, "So why'd I get sent out here? It's so troublesome."

Sakura pitched in, "We couldn't help it! Kakashi-sensei ordered me to bring you along!"

"What about me? Last time I checked I was not even near you guys!" Maiko growled.

The pink-haired genin sighed, "Your sensei fought with Kakashi and made him tell me to. She sent you over to us by letting you get hit by the enemy. You're not injured are you, Maiko?"

The tomboy frowned, "What? She let me get attacked? What a (curse.)!"

Their conversation was interrupted when the pooch ahead of them spoke, "This way!"

The group obeyed and leapt off the trail they once followed, taking a sharp right, completely unaware of the group of Sound nin after them, or more appropriately, Naruto.

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><p><strong>AN: **

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**Please leave feedback :D I hope you look forward to Chapter 21!**


	22. Chapter 21

**A/N: Good afternoon, everyone! :) I sure am a lazy bum! I'm sorry it took me so long to update, but this chapter is long, so I hope you enjoy! It was at least 30 pages on MicrosoftWord.. Anyways..**

**July/14/12 - Guise, guise, guise! I edited this chapter :D**

**Thanks to..**

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><p><strong>[Reviewers]<strong>

{Tough chick} - Hahahah! XD I'm sorry I took so long! There is some action in this chapter~! I was really nervous about writing a fighting scene.. I'm not really sure how exactly it turned out.. But I'm excited to read about your reaction :) Thank you for reviewing, love!

{Animefangirl95} - Aww, thank you c: There's not really much of her in this chapter.. In fact, you don't really read about her at all XD I'm sorry! Hahahaha XD I mean, honestly, I had to do that! Did anyone notice why she noticed Shikamaru was asleep..? Maybe it was because she said something.. Oh, I don't know ;) Wink. Wink. Anyways, thank you so much for reading and reviewing c:

{bored41} - XD really? Thanksss! I thought it was kinda annoying of me to make sure my OC's are flung all over the place XD But thank you anyways! Kotone and Gaara fighting..? Hmm.. I'm not really sure if I want to intrude on that little party XD but she fights Kankuro in this chapter :D But he doesn't stand a chance! .. Is she too much of a Mary Sue..? OH dear.. Anyways, thank you for reading and reviewing, dear c:

{MikuPinku} - [Dates Chapter] - OMG HEYYYY! It's youuu c: I remember youuu! I'm glad you like my story :D Thank you so much for reading and reviewing!

{MikuPinku} - Omg hey XD It's youuuuuu again! AWWW, thank you :D That's very sweet! Hi omegle buddy Detail..? I kinda just threw that in there XD Kakashi has so many ladies after him.. He needs one who isn't too obsessed over him but likes him! Too bad Hanako is nuts XD :V ohhhh.. Okay, I see. I was kinda leaving the action at a minimum because I'm kinda testing out the water for writing action scenes. I'm not sure if I'm particularly any good with that, but thank you for your advice! Well, I shouldn't make excuses.. Sorry XD The whole different nin everywhere is kind of the situation at that time, since it's the confusion of 'Oh, surprise, there are enemy ninja everywhere, and there's an evil ANBU omg run roflmao' that sort of thing.. More excuses.. I'm sorry XD Anyways, you provided me with wonderful advice, and I hope this chapter meets some more standards! Thank you so much!

{animegirl3774} - I'm so sorry for the long wait DX I just get lazy.. But I had a lot of ice cream so I'm ready to go :D Here's your new chapter, hun c: Enjoy!

{evee11} - I can't tell you :c I'm sorry. But thank you for taking the time to review :D I love you!

{Anonymous} - Aww, that's a pretty name XD OMG that reminds me! I need to make a tumblr c: Sorry, anyways. Hiiii! :D AAWWWW You are so sweet XD It's really your favorite..? you are so kiinnnd! Thank you for your kindness! I hope you enjoy this chapter, Anon! :D

{MaoIsSleepy} - Is she..? Thank you so much XD Maiko.. Well, I can't say cuz I don't wanna ruin the chapter c: But she does some stuff and then Kotone does some other stuff.. And lots of stuff happens... I'M SO SORRY DX I'm too vaaaague! Anyways.. please enjoy c:

{xXChirushiXx} - [Dates Chapter] - Ahahaha XD I figured someone would suggest a weird paring like that! I'm glad you enjoyed it c; I love you c: Please enjoy this new chapter!

{xXChirushiXx} - I'm sorry XD Cliffies are so funnnn! o_o I can't tell you, sweetie! I'm sorry :c But I can't! Umm.. I can give you a hint about Maiko.. No wait no DX I can't ruin anything! I'm SORRY! Here's the next update, instead D: I love you too! Hope you enjoy XD THANK YOUUUU!

{Eternal Cat Moon} - Ahh! :D Renaldo Moon! .. I'm sorry for being so weird. Anyways, here's the chapter :O You can find out what happens if you want! Aww, really XD I thought that maybe I was kinda forcing the couple.. Thank you for your kindness! here's the update, love c: I hope you like it!

{Regin} - I'm glad you like c: o_o lust..? That probably isn't good for you..to lust over a story.. But whatever floats your boat, love c: Here's an update, darling! Enjoy!

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><p><strong>Alerts\**

[bored411] - Thank you sweetie C:

[golden-priestess] - .. Should I make a tumblr..? Oh i'm sorry XD I love youu! Thank you so much!

[MikuPinku] - hi again c: It's nice to see youuuu!

[evee11] - Evee.. Isn't that a pokemon? I love pokemon c: Anyways, thanksssssss!

[xXChirushiXx] - I thought your name said Chizuru at first :o like the girl from Kimi ni Todoke.. Ah! Sorry! Thank you!

[lunarsnowdrift] - ... Omg what does your name even mean XD I'm sorry but whatwhatwhat. Anyways, thanksss!

[Eternal Cat Moon] - .. Renaldo Moon.. Whatwhatwaitwhatwhooopssorry XD someone help meeeeeeee! thanks youuu v;

[Regin] - Thank you for your kindness c;

[Noel Ardnek] - .. You know that old show Arthur? Idk how to spell the animal that he was, but i thought your name was that XD sorry! Thank you a lot!

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><p><strong>{Favoritings} <strong>

/xXChirushiXx\ - .. Hi C; Thank youu!

/NobLe123\ - NobLE..? NOBLE! I GET IT! ... Thanks! XD

/nox umbra0\ - ... Umbra.. Is a part of a shadow, right? .. It's summer XD I can't think. Thakn yuoo

/Yoshimeera\ - YOSHI O.o .. Is my favorite character on Mario Cart. Anyways, thankkkkss c;

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><p><strong>AN: That should be it! Thank you all for everything c: I love you all A LOT! You too, reader. You TOO. **

**Ahem, anyways, I was thinking I should make a tumblr! So that I could hang out with you guys on a more personal level C: Tell me what you think, if you want!**

**If you'd like to suggest something, or give me feedback of any sort, review, if you want! :D **

**Please no flames o.o I'm very flammable. **

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><p>"How long is it going to take for us to find them?" Naruto asked, a look of determination on his tan face.<p>

The pooch in the lead replied, "I don't really know. They're moving pretty quickly."

Maiko cursed under her breath. She didn't know Sasuke on a personal level, but apparently, according to Sakura, Kotone was with him. Why had she gone with him? Last time she checked, she and Sasuke didn't exactly like each other, not like Kotone likes anyone at all, but still. It was puzzling.

"Oi, you guys! Go faster!" The pug barked (Ahaha.. Ha.. Ha.. Ahem).

"Eh? Why?" Maiko responded with a groan.

"What is it? Are we close to Sasuke?" Naruto inquired.

Pakkun frowned (Can dogs frown..?), "No. There's a group of eight hostile ninja following us. No, wait, make that nine."

Shikamaru sighed, "To have pursuers so soon? You've got to be kidding me."

"They haven't exactly pinpointed our location," Kakashi's dog replied (Somehow, she knew Pugly was a part of the Naruto gang), "But still, we have to lose them somehow."

Pakkun leapt down from the thick branches they had been traveling with, and landed delicately on the ground, walking for a few steps before looking down and humming in thought.

"Yo, why'd we stop?" Maiko growled.

The pug turned his head and replied, "Shut up and follow me."

He stepped backwards, his paws going over his fresh tracks.

"Go back over your footprints," He ordered, "It'll look like our footsteps totally disappeared."

Maiko was about to argue, but saw Shikamaru obey the command, and begrudgingly danced backwards, following her footsteps by the strange pattern only her wrapped feet had.

"But even if we do this, they'll still be able to find out!" She proposed.

Pakkun stood perched upon a higher branch, "It'll buy us some time, and that's really what we need now. Hopefully, it'll also make our pursuers impatient and they'll make a mistake, creating a weakness in their pursuit. If they don't find any clues as to where we're going, even better."

Maiko did a back flip, landing clumsily beside Sakura and almost completely falling off the branch, snapping a smaller one in the process. She scratched underneath her nose as she regained balance, trying to hide the fact that she broke it.

"Hurry up, Naruto!" Sakura ordered.

"We don't have much time," Shikamaru added lazily, his hands shoved in his pockets.

The blonde haired knucklehead growled and finished his retracing of his footprints before leaping back onto the designated branch, only to leap again to follow the small pug.

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"This isn't good."

Maiko felt a shiver of guilt run up her spine.

"They're gaining on us, and they're still being careful of ambushes."

The green-haired tomboy stumbled and cursed again.

"Our pursuers are probably on Jounin level," Shikamaru analyzed, "If they catch up, we're as good as dead."

The team seemed to tense.

"Well.. then we should stop and hide to ambush them!" Naruto offered.

Maiko nodded, "Yeah, that sounds like our only option to get these guys off our backs!"

Sakura agreed with a thoughtful expression, "Yes, that'll give us an advantage! Even if they have twice as many people as we do, it might work if we can catch them off guard!"

Pakkun interfered quickly, causing the girl with the odd eyes to groan, "We can't do that. They're the men of the former shinobi of the Leaf Village, Orochimaru. Worst case scenario, they have a Jounin level ninja among them."

Shikamaru bit his lip, "I thought that might've worked, but it won't.."

"Wait, why?" Sakura asked, "The ninja's level doesn't matter if it's an ambush!"

Naruto nodded and Maiko groaned.

"You idiots! Orochimaru was a former Konoha ninja! Which means, he knows the terrain!"

"So?" Naruto continued.

Shikamaru sighed, "You guys really don't get it, do you? It's true that an ambush would give us an advantage, and it's really basic, but you have to meet two conditions in order for an ambush to work."

"And what are they, smart(curse.)?" Maiko hissed.

Her best friend rolled his dark eyes before raising one finger.

"First, the ambusher must move silently, and must discover the pursuer first," He raised another finger, "Second, we have to secure a location where we can catch our pursuers off guard and inflict critical damage, and then be able to hide away in that location."

Maiko sighed. Man, this wasn't turning out to look so good.. Stupid Hanako-sensei.

"Once we're able to fulfill these conditions, the ambush becomes an effective tactic. Since we have the ninja dog with us, he can sniff out their location easily. As for the second condition, we have somewhat of an advantage since we've all lived in this village all our lives, so we know the terrain better, but.. Orochimaru lived here once. If we're really dealing with his men, this won't work."

The lazy genius's tomboy friend growled, "So what the (curse.) are you getting at?"

"Orochimaru probably had his men study a map of this place or something," He continued, "and maybe even went through simulations of battle in this area before. On top of that, they're all most likely very skilled at the art of pursuing."

Sakura smirked in a hopeless way, "So they know how we'll move."

Shikamaru nodded, "Ambushing is still a good tactic, but still.. There are too many uncertain factors. Furthermore, the squadron after us was organized for this specific plan. As for us, we have an idiot (Naruto, Maiko hoped), a kunoichi will no real talent (Sakura, Maiko chuckled), a dog (Okay, that had to be Pakkun), a fiery tomboy who gets angry too quick _and_ doesn't think straight (.. So that was her. [Curse.] you, Shikamaru) and me, the number one lazy coward who doesn't want to be here! Understanding the situation, and making a plan based on that situation is how one makes a strategy. There's really only one thing we can do."

"Only.. one thing?" Sakura murmured.

"Yeah. That's a feint operation that _looks _like an ambush. One person will stay behind and set up things to look like an ambush.. Then stop them."

"So.. A decoy." Maiko presumed.

"Yes.. If that person can stop them," the lazy genin replied, "they won't be able to get the location of the other three. Then we can lose the pursuers, but.. the decoy.. will most likely.. _die._"

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Maiko gulped. She didn't .. _want _to die.. But she .. She didn't want someone else to! The team of four (plus a puppy) stopped their fleeing and stood on separate branches. Silence engulfed them, and the green-haired genin couldn't help but want to point out the fact that they were wasting precious time. She swallowed her nervousness and spoke loudly, with confidence she didn't know she had.

"So, who's it gonna be?"

The team stood stiff.

"We need to dog to find Sasuke," Shikamaru said wearily, "which means.."

His voice trailed off, his meaning obvious. It had to be one of the four genin.

Naruto spoke first, speaking almost shakily, "Okay, I'll-"

".. I'm the only one who can do it," Shikamaru interrupted.

"Shika!" Maiko stammered, looking at her lazy friend with urgency in her unique eyes.

What was he even thinking? No, what was he SMOKING? He couldn't go out there and get himself killed!

"Why you?" Naruto asked quickly.

"It's better than all of us getting killed, right? Also, I'm the only guy who can pull off being a decoy, and maybe have a chance of surviving."

He did a boyish flip backwards, landing a branch behind Naruto. Maiko felt a lump gather in her throat.

"The Shadow Possession jutsu was originally made to stop the enemy anyway," the boy turned to face the opposite direction, "I'll catch up with you guys later. Hurry up and get out of here."

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"Shik-.." Maiko felt her voice fade and she tried to label the feeling of her throat tightening unpleasantly.

"We're counting on you, Shikamaru!" Naruto said confidently.

The dark-haired boy raised a hand, a (curse.) lazy way of saying 'good bye', not turning around. Maiko couldn't stop her hand from shaking nervously.

"Sakura.." the blonde knucklehead said, his gaze intense.

His pink-haired teammate nodded, before leaping off after Pakkun, followed by Naruto, and eventually Maiko, after she chuckled and left, trying to mask her fear as anticipation of his return.

As the sight of her best friend began to fade, the green-haired tomboy turned to face the back of the pooch, swallowing once again, trying to get rid of her thoughts. The doubt in the air was palpable.

"Shikamaru's a good dude. He won't just randomly disappear.. Trust me. We'll see him again in no time!" Maiko laughed anxiously.

She couldn't help but throw a glance over her shoulder, wondering why this feeling of dread was so.. familiar.

No, no, no. No matter. She shook her head, the whispers, laughs and taunts bouncing around (the voices had yet to stop haunting her.. Unfortunately). Shikamaru would be fine. He would be okay.. He would be.. careful.

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Maiko gripped her hair in a insane way. No, no, no, no! No, he wasn't going to be careful! What if.. What if.. What if he died? She would never be able to live with herself! Never! No.. It was too late to go after him.. Besides, Naruto and Sakura needed her help! No, wait, they didn't! Did they?

She gulped. Shikamaru, be careful, you lazy idiot! No, someone was talking.. No, it was Pakkun!

"The enemy is getting closer."

What? Did that mean.. they already killed Shika?

"Is he even trying to stop the enemy?"

You stupid, stupid, mutt! He may be a coward but he wouldn't run away at a time like this! No.. Not .. not now.

"Did.. Shikamaru.." Sakura muttered.

Maiko clenched her fists and was prepared to scream.

"He'll be fine!" Naruto interfered.

"Are you sure he didn't just.. run away?"

"SHUT UP!" The tomboy growled, "He may be lazy, and sometimes really dimwitted, but he's not that kind of dude! He may.. not.. be all that heroic and (curse.) but he's not going to betray us! He doesn't usually do this kinda stuff, but he'll do it all the way since he put his mind to it! So don't you dare doubt him!"

The other two genin shut their mouths, noticing how the girl was shivering in what looked like fury. But really, underneath her angry expression, she was nervously looking around like a lost puppy. Was he going to be okay? He should run away. No, no, no. Then everyone would die.

"We're increasing our speed!"

"Okay!"

Maiko closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Now wasn't the time to act like his mom. She needed to be.. someone else right now.. But... but..

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**P.O.V. change - No one in particular**

**~.~**

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**.**

"These footsteps intervals are irregular. Their impatience must be increasing their fatigue."

The Sound nin stood up, looking closely at the set of footprints, and the clear path that they had created. Honestly, this was too easy. He took a small breath before moving his leg and taking a step forward.

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.

Wait, why wasn't his leg moving..? He was.. frozen!

"Sorry."

What! A voice! A ... kid?

"I was supposed to be the number one coward who's best at running away.. but it seems like.. my personality has changed a little. It's true that I'm fatigued, but you're wrong about the footprints."

What is this..? This.. This.. this kid! He made the footprints with.. those branches? But.. But.. No matter.

"I made them with this."

They may be trapped, but.. There was still.. Ah! His shadow! It was.. straining! That must be how he was keeping all of them still!

"He's still only a kid," Another Sound nin said, "To think we fell for a trick.."

"Is this the Shadow Paralysis jutsu of Konoha I've heard so much about..?"

The kid smirked, but it was weary, "That's a pretty ancient way of saying it. A long time has passed.. It's called the Shadow Possession jutsu nowadays, old man."

He was breathing heavily. He wasn't strong. This was.. much too easy. He seemed to contemplate for a while before suddenly, he yanked out a few shuriken.

What a fool.. Did he not realize one was missing? The boy took out some more weaponry before tossing them all at the same time, each one honed on their target.

Almost immediately, they were deflected, cancelled out by some other weapons. This kid was as good as dead.

Stupidly, he attempted to reach his shadow to where the ninth pursuer was, but it failed, obviously.

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"It's useless. We know how this jutsu works. It looks a lot like you've reached your limit. This Shadow Paralysis jutsu will be released soon. You better be prepared for us!"

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**P.O.V. change - Shikamaru**

**~.~**

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**.**

Shikamaru closed his eyes, looking up at the sky and immediately thinking about how it was to end. He really just wanted an average life. Be an average ninja, get paid an average amount. Marry an average lady, not too pretty, not too ugly. Have two kids, one girl, and one boy. Retire when his daughter gets married, and spend his days playing go and other games until he dies of old age.

Yes, that's the life that sounds truly amazing. But now.. he wasn't going to be able to have it. He faced his enemies with a stern expression.

"Just like you said, I'm at my limit."

Sure enough, his Shadow Possession died down, his shadow releasing the others, sealing his fate. Yup, this was the end. A sucky life, never being able to do all the things he wanted..

_Yo, Shika! Let's go to the amusement park!_

_Sounds like a good idea to me. Amusement parks have got really good food (munch, munch, munch)._

_Eh? You guys, I don't want to waste my time at some dumpy place with dumpy food. _

_You idiot! I mean, let's go ride the rides!_

_And the food isn't dumpy! (Munch, munch, munch). Just sorta expensive. _

_Sounds like a drag to me.._

"Hey, come on out! And pop off this idiot's head while you're at it!"

Oh yes, there they go. Calling in their final member to shred this poor, poor Nara kid and feed his remains to Orochimaru. Yup, a heroic death, indeed.

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Wait a second, where was this guy? Almost on cue, a dark figure crashed behind the genius and immediately, his eyes widened a considerable bit.

Was this the end? He never went to the amusement park with Choji and Maiko, he never figured out why she almost killed him on accident, he never beat Choji in an eating contest, he never convinced Ino that Sasuke wasn't all that great, he never-..

Wait..

"He's dead!" a Sound nin cried out.

It wasn't true, for the figure was breathing, but it was understandable why one would make such a mistake. Needles stuck out of him at ever angle, blood steadily dripping from most of the puncture wounds.

"Yo, Shika!"

That voice.. but..why?

"You're a lucky dude. I'm a lot faster nowadays so I was able to arrive in time."

The figure in front of him.. was no other than Maiko Arakawa!

"Mai! What are you doing!" Shikamaru hissed.

No, no, no, this wasn't supposed to happen! She was supposed to be safe, with Naruto and Sakura and that dog!

"I came back to save your butt! And that guy isn't dead, you Musical idiots (She would be surprised by how much she was like her sensei..)! I just made sure he won't be using those pesky arms for now!"

The green-haired girl was always too soft..

"What.. what are you even thinking! Now we're both stuck here! With eight other Sound ninja to defeat!" Shikamaru chastised.

"Shut up! You should be grateful you-AH!"

No! Maiko! She was so _stupid_! A Sound nin, with kunai raised to kill.. Move, Maiko, move!

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Blood splattered onto Shikamaru's arms, which he had raised to cover his face. He was such a cowardly idiot! A man should protect the woman! Not the other way around!

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No, no, no.. Not Maiko! Not.. Not the girl lying completely unharmed beside Shikamaru, her eyes wide and frozen! Wait.. Maiko!

"Mai!" The lazy genin scrambled to his feet, but stopped in his tracks.

"You did a nice job, Shikamaru."

Why.. Why was.. _he_ here..?

"A-.. Dai.." Maiko whispered.

The chunin in front of her blocked the attack of the Sound nin, stabbing him with his own kunai, and sending a friendly smile to Shikamaru, who seemed relieved that he no longer had to do anything.

"You and Mai fall back, okay? Asuma and I'll take care of the rest."

The lazy genin looked up, taking note of the fact that Asuma-sensei had appeared from thin air, as well.

"I'm glad we caught up to you two," He said, a cigarette hanging from his mouth.

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In a matter of minutes, the Sound nin were taken care of and Dai was kneeling next to Maiko scolding her for trying to be the hero and not thinking through her plan.

The tomboy would've been arguing with him had she not have a laid back look on her face, probably the same as Shikamaru's.

"You guys are safe now, at least." Dai sighed cheerfully.

Asuma nodded, his cigarette suddenly absent, "Yeah, we just barely made it, though."

He nudged the Sound nin Maiko had taken care of with his foot, humming at the fact that there were senbon needles sticking out of his body like a porcupine.

Shikamaru laid his head back on the ground and sighed.

"This isn't up my alley."

Maiko nodded, "I.. I think.. That's it for the day."

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><p><strong>P.O.V. change - Kotone's P.O.V.<strong>

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The chase was quick-paced. Sasuke was practically dragging her through the branches of the trees, sending wary glances back at her every few minutes. She was keeping up with him.

Ahead of them were Kankuro, Temari, and Gaara, the last being supported by the first, his consciousness highly unlikely.

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.

.

They had reached a darker part of the forest at this time, and Sasuke had yet to release her wrist, as though he expected her to trot away the second he did, like an untrained dog being freed from its leash.

Information flew through her brain and suddenly, she loosened Sasuke's grip on her and took his hand in her own, (much to his surprise) and yanked backwards, causing him to collapse by her side.

"What are you doing?" He asked angrily.

"I calculate a eighty-nine point nine percent chance that there are paper bombs and traps set up ahead. I suggest you proceed with caution."

"How do you.. know?" Sasuke asked with a raised brow.

"Look exactly fifty centimeters ahead. There is a piece of wire, a trigger, most likely there for one of us to stumble upon, setting off a paper bomb. Proceed with caution," Kotone repeated.

Sasuke unconsciously squeezed her hand (the second after she attempted to escape from his grasp. Physical contact wasn't the solution for everything, but it didn't look like he was letting go any time soon) and leapt forward, his dark eyes sharp, even without his Sharingan activated.

But humans make mistakes, and an explosion went off, and the Uchiha dragged her away from the blast, only to activate another, then another, then another, until he and his pale partner stood upside down, Kotone completely unashamed of the fact that her dress was lifted, hands still intertwined, though at this point, the paler of the two did not even acknowledge the fact.

"Hmm... Pretty nice traps," the dark-haired boy sighed, his hair dangling above him.

"Indeed. I have analyzed the chances, and it is plausible that this act was done out of desperation, thus concluding to the fact that we are soon to confront the Sand siblings."

The Uchiha nodded before squeezing her hand once more (Unconsciously or not, it was still a completely unnecessary act that made Kotone wonder if she should just flee) and leaping from his perch, taking the female genin with him.

.

.

.

Almost minutes afterwards, those minutes consisting of the girl with the white hair pointing out where certain traps may be, the team of two had caught up with the Sand siblings, just as she predicted.

Before they could flee, Sasuke threw a kunai in their path, another weapon in his hand, holding it in an almost boastful fashion.

"Uchiha.. Sasuke!" Temari gasped.

"You're not going anywhere," He responded, a smirk on his face.

"Bring it on, then!" Kankuro said with a determined expression.

As he spoke, Temari flipped onto a different branch, throwing three kunai as she did so.

"No, Kankuro! Take Gaara and get out of here!"

Sasuke dodged the weapons easily, Kotone leaning to the side as well.

"Let me deal with them."

"But.. Temari.. You can't handle them alone!"

"Don't worry about it! This is too important of a mission for the Sand Village. Help Gaara. Plus... This guy is my type. Just go, Kankuro!"

"I calculate a two percent chance by type this female means race," Kotone said blankly.

Sasuke almost face-palmed, but had better things to do. As the puppet master attempted to escape, he threw a couple of kunai in his direction.

"I won't let you!"

Kankuro hopped to another branch, and Sasuke yanked Kotone along with him as he attempted to go after him, but the eldest of the Sand siblings blocked his path.

"Take this!" She spat, waving her fan precisely.

At this point, Kotone and Sasuke released hands, each going in separate directions. The pale girl stood upside down again (Did she even _know_ that her kimono was flipped as well? Her expression, or rather, lack thereof, didn't show an answer) and stayed perfectly still.

Sasuke glanced at her and immediately realized that this fight was all up to him. He jumped to Temari, and the fight began.

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.

The battle ended quickly, just like the match between Tenten and Temari, who was beaten and injured, laying on the ground almost like she expected the Uchiha who looked down at her from his perch on his branch to wipe her out.

"Sorry, but I don't have all day to play with you," he said smoothly.

The genin turned towards his upside partner and ordered, "Come down here."

Sasuke held in his surprise when Kotone appeared at his side in seconds. Once again, he took her wrist, and they were off, the pale girl looking back at the fallen Sand nin with no expression.

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It was almost uncanny how quickly they caught up to Kankuro and Gaara after Temari's embarrassing defeat.

Sasuke immediately attacked, sending three shuriken flying at the puppet wielder, who dodged them appropriately.

He yanked Kotone with him, landing with her in front of Kankuro, taking note of the fact that her pale hand gripped his tightly, as though she was going to crush it.

"Don't even think about running," Sasuke said quickly.

"Bring it on. _I_'ll fight you this time."

"Wait!"

Temari (how the [curse.] did she even get here?) fell to a kneeling position, leaves dancing down along with her.

"What? I thought he.. beat you." Kankuro asked with a confused expression, though it was quite hard to see, considering all the ridiculous make up he wore.

"Yeah.. I'm okay.. Somehow.. But.. I couldn't even stop him," Temari said, standing up slowly.

"No, don't worry, it was enough time for Gaara to recover. Also, it caused him to use some of his chakra."

Sasuke smirked, and Kotone immediately took note of the fact that they had a desperate need for the Uchiha to disappear and Gaara to awaken. She had yet discovered a solid reason why, but she had a couple of percentages and chances that led her to a reasonable conclusion.

The puppeteer leapt forward (did he.. drop Gaara or something?) and held out his weapon in front of him. Sasuke winced at how hard Kotone was squeezing his hand.

"Temari, you take Gaara and take. You can't fight anymore. I don't need you to get in my way."

"But..!" The girl began.

Kotone released Sasuke's hand and took a step forward.

"Go!" Kankuro commanded.

Temari looked down at Gaara's unconscious form, then back at her brother, as though she didn't understand.

"Hurry!"

"I.. Okay."

She leaned down, wrapping her youngest sibling's arm around her shoulder, grabbing him around the waist, and then hastily disappeared.

"Looks like we'll be fighting," Kankuro spoke.

"I don't care who I battle," Sasuke smirked.

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.

.

"No. You shall not fight him."

The Uchiha turned and faced Kotone, 'surprised' written on his face.

"W-what..?"

She had yet to speak up about her own will, or even what was running through her mind.. What set her off?

"I will fight the puppeteer."

Kankuro gulped, fearful, "You're.. that girl."

"Yes, according to my observations, I am female."

Sasuke's smirk reappeared for a moment, before he said, "Why do you suddenly want to fight? Earlier, you didn't even help me fight Temari."

Kotone clenched her fists, a drop of blood falling from each hand.

"My match was cancelled, for this puppet master forfeited. This is a fair opportunity for me to fight him, and have my match, in a sense."

The dark-haired Uchiha frowned, "But..."

The girl with the white eyes turned to him, "I calculate a ninety-two percent chance that you are wasting your time here. I suggest you go after Gaara. If I am to defeat this puppeteer, I analyze that I may or may not follow you."

"You.. Will you be okay?" Sasuke asked, covering his hesitant stutter with another boyish, devilish smirk.

"I am capable of battling. I suggest you go now and catch up with the other two."

Sasuke nodded vaguely before leaping off, causing Kankuro to step forward, but stop, noticing that the wind was beginning to gather around his opponent.

Taking a long few seconds to notice that Kotone's kimono was up, the puppeteer stammered over whatever he wanted to say and froze, watching as the gales whipped around the girl in an angry sense.

"Yes.. This will be a formidable battle, indeed. I presume you are prepared."

Kankuro's mouth hung open, watching as the girl began walking to him, _levitating_ on the wind itself! It was almost just like.. Gaara and his sand!

"How are you able to control the wind like that?" he asked quickly.

"That is none of your concern. But if you truly wish to know, I disperse my chakra out around me at a rate that most would call shocking. The air around me absorbs my chakra since it revolves around the power of the wind, thus becoming gales that I may use for whatever I see fit."

Who had enough chakra to just.. spill it out everywhere they go? Kankuro hadn't even heard rumors of such a thing! But still.. Now was no time for a lesson on chakra.

"Whatever! Even if you are some prodigy or something, I'll cut you down right now!"

Yanking the bandages off of Crow (after performing a simple looking hand sign), the puppet seemed to come to life, clicking and twisting with power. It wrapped its artificial limbs laxly around its master, causing blood to drip faster and faster from Kotone's palms.

The puppeteer was the first to move, throwing his arm forward, and sending his puppet flying towards the enemy, a blade drawn with poison visible on its tip.

Kotone stood blandly, and the puppet's blade sunk right into her skin, directly below her left collarbone, close to her heart.

Kankuro twitched. Did this girl just let herself get hit or something? Not only did she flash him (a sight he would never, ever forget) but she also let him beat her on the first strike? It was too easy.

"The poison in Crow is deadly, deadlier than you can imagine. You'll be dead any second now!"

The puppet retreated, being pulled back to its master's side, watching as blood poured from the wound and the skin (and cloth) around it was painted an ugly purple.

But suddenly, the blood stopped pouring and Kankuro raised a decorated brow. No one just.. runs out of blood.

Kotone raised her left arm and used her right to feel the underside of it.

What was.. she doing?

.

.

And, in a freakishly, frighteningly, horrifyingly way, she removed part of the underside of her arm, as though she was made of wood and it was a compartment in her body for some.. unsightly reason.

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This.. was no ordinary girl. She reached into her arm, and pulled out a small glass tube, filled to a halfway point with a purple liquid.. With.. With poison!

Kankuro froze, form tensing visibly. She just.. her body .. Somehow, she was able to extract all the poison in seconds, and put it in a tube.. And remove part of her arm.

"What-.. What are you?" The puppeteer yelled, pointed an accusing finger at the pale girl, who was now placing her arm back into its original form, holding out the tube of poison for Kankuro to see.

"I am, to put it in a simple form, the perfect being. This," She juggled the poison bottle, "is the poison your puppet injected me with. It is pointless to use such a thing on me."

Suddenly, in a purposeful manner, the bottle slipped from her pale fingers and fell to the ground, crashing and breaking in a delicate manner.

"Now.. I suggest you take me seriously. I am not someone to be toyed with, especially using such a cheap trick."

Kankuro gulped. No, no, she was not. Once again, he sent Crow forward, this time jumping down from the tree and hiding. His puppet lunged at Kotone, who grabbed its blade, nearly breaking it.

This.. was not good.

"There is no point in hiding. I must simply follow the chakra strings back to your body and annihilate you. The air will be rejected by the form of another's chakra, thus I can find the strings at a faster rate than others, considering they are invisible to the human eye."

Kankuro broke off the strings anxiously, looking around him in a paranoid fashion, but keeping one, the one for Crow's head. It had been a long time since he had been seemingly put down on his knees so early in the battle. But now, he was at somewhat of an advantage. The girl seemed to believe he had released all the strings, so he could catch her off guard!

The puppet's head was brought to life, being the only moving piece of the doll, and lunged forward to stab Kotone in the back of the head.

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And then, almost as though she was dancing, Kotone spun around, performing a multitude of hand signs that were somewhat familiar, and thrusted a foreign hand sign at the incoming blade protruding from Crow's mouth.

"Kaze no ha*."

Suddenly, like a burst of Temari's fan jutsu, a gust of wind slammed the surrounding area and Kankuro steadily peered around, wondering anxiously what had happened. Then, it became obvious that he was no longer in control of his puppet.

"What.. What happened?" The puppeteer stumbled out of his hiding spot, knowing full well that this battle was over.

He was.. almost nothing compared to this.. this monster!

Crow's head was dropped down in front of him and it become obvious that it was cut cleanly in half.

"That jutsu gathers my chakra in a single area, forming a blade-like weapon. The hand sign that was foreign to you is used for those of my nature to amass my chakra in whatever form I please. I am not skillfully trained in this area, thus I was unable to shape a more powerful weapon. I calculate a one hundred percent chance that my jutsu would've killed you, had I been able to correctly perform it."

Kotone landed gracefully in front of Kankuro and before he could confirm what was happening, she kicked him roughly in the face (seeing as to how he had fallen to his knees in a hopeless manner). He landed a fair distance away and as he tried to stand, the stronger genin appeared before him and her fist connected painfully with his chin, similar to the uppercut Naruto performed on Neji earlier that day.

Kankuro grunted in pain and landed on the ground in a sorely position. He looked up, some of his makeup smeared and showing his determined, yet fearful gaze, and met Kotone's eye.

"You.. you won. Are you going to.. kill me?" He asked.

The genin with the long white hair looked up at the sky, as though contemplating a humiliating answer.

"No, I will not, for you are not worth my time."

And as she leapt off, disappearing into the trees, causing leaves to fall to the ground in a picturesque manner, Kankuro swore he could hear the wind howling.

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><p><strong>AN: **

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**I hope you are looking forward to the next chapter!**

**P.S. - (Kaze no ha = Blade of the Wind)**


	23. Chapter 22

**A/N: Sorry about the late update :D I don't really like this chapter, but I guess I'll have to make do! I'm going to start a habit of editing my chapters every once in a while, btw, so umm I hope you enjoy XD**

**P.S. - I edited the last chapter's ending, so please go take a look! (No, seriously. I changed a lot of things XD)**

**Thanks to.. **

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><p>{Reviewers}<p>

[Guest] - Thank you very much for your kindness~! Really..? Thank you! I really feel like I've been just cramming my OC's into wherever everyone else is lately, but it makes me feel very confident about this chapter now that you've said that! Thank you very much for reviewing, so please, enjoy this chapter!

[bored411] - I'M SO SORRY I CAN'T TELL YOUUU! But I can tell you this, all will be revealed when Sasuke runs away! :D Ahh, I love comments like that. They make me feel like my story is doing pretty well despite me not being exactly very confident.. haha.. Here's a new update, please do enjoy :D

[ILOVEANIME123] - Ah, I love anime, too :D Here is some mooooooooooooooooooooooore! I hope you like!

[Eternal Cat Moon] - Umm, I'm really sorry, but they didn't fight. I hope you're not upset or disappointed, but I felt like I should leave that scene alone. It was really Naruto's time to shine. Ah, the battle! :O I edited it because I saw that part of your comment! I've changed it so that it is a little.. better, I suppose. I hope you will take the time to check it out! Thank you for reviewing! Please enjoy :)

[MaoIsSleepy] - Ahh, I'm glad you like him :) I kinda pictured him as Ayame from Fruits Basket XD But changed him to be less.. flamboyant. :D Oh? Really? I'm glad you love her! I edited the battle between her and Kankuro, if you'd like to take a peek! Hooowaaa XD Thank you for your kindness! The scene was anti-climatic, so I decided to change it a bit c: I hope you think it's still just as good~! Arigato!

[Animefangirl95] - Ohh gosh, I felt like I was really forcing the two onto each other, so I decided to change up a few things XD You can check if you want; the outcome is still the same.

Creepy..? Good XD That's what I'm aiming for! Some of her story is revealed in this chapter, but most of it revolves around Hanako, really. O.o Do you think that was a bad decision..? I thought maybe I shouldn't make them hold hands, but aodihga'djf. I'm sorry :C

Awww XD Thank you so muchhh! I don't like playing favorites, but I do XO

I'm really going to do it o.o I'm kinda nervous, but I'll make one under my name, fujioka44, and if that one is taken I'll just keep counting higher XD Ahh, I'm afraid I'm a socially awkward person so I don't have too many of those XD I don't have a facebook either, don't worry :D I just don't want one. It seems like a lot of drama happens there, soapodsgj'alsdjf Sorry I'm getting off track!

Thank you for reviewing, dear!

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><p>Followers\ or /Alerts\

{ILOVEANIME123} - Thank you very much for your support! I love you :D

{SkyFox345} - I first read your name as StarFox XD Sorry! (Can't let you do that, StarFox!) Anyways, thank you for following! I hope you continue to read my story!

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><p>[Favoritings]<p>

/ILOVEANIME123\ - Thank you for your kindness c:

/xvisualkeigirlx\ - visual kei girl.. KEI! I know who that is! I think.. I never really finished Yu Yu Hakusho.. Ahaha.. I just know that I really liked Hei.. CRAP. It's HEI. Not KEI. I'm sorry :c Anyways, I hope you enjoy this chapter!

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><p><strong>AN: I hope none of you are upset with me for making such an awful chapter :c I promise I'll edit it if most of you don't like it. **

**Thank you all for being beautiful, kind, and amazing :)**

**If you'd like, you may leave a comment and I PROMISE I will respond :)**

**Oh, btw, does anyone want to do a book cover for this story..? I would do it myself, but.. I'm not an artist in any way o.o**

**Anyways..**

**Good night, everyone! **

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><p><strong>.<strong>

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Hanako dodged another kunai, bending backwards in what looked like an uncomfortable position. The Sound nin were slowly disappearing, but that didn't mean that Konoha was safe, considering that there were at least a thousand Sand nin as well. From afar, it was very clear that there were giant snakes attacking and what looked like a big toad. The ninja with the long black hair bit her bottom lip, performing a back flip to retract from her backbend.

She had to admit, she didn't love this village the way the Hokage did, but she liked it, and most of the people were tolerable. What was the plan? What could she do at this moment to help the confined Hokage, and all of the villagers? Now that she thought about it, they were probably all evacuated by now, or at least, hopefully, since that's really all the lower ninja were useful for, besides dealing with all the kids on a daily basis.

Okay, she needed to calm down. The more she worried and fretted over everyone else, the more Sand nin started going after Maiko. No, that was an awful self-imposed rule, Asuma and Daisuke already went after her and her friends. Maybe, if she could beat them all, she'd find a way to bring _her_ back to life. Yes, that was.. a good self-imposed rule.

Growling, Hanako crashed her skull into an incoming enemy, causing him to back away dizzily, then pulled out her fan, throwing it like a shuriken, and watching with a determined expression as it stuck into the man's neck, blood spilling visibly.

She fetched her fan quickly (it may not be as large as that girl, Temari's, but it was still just as useful) using it to block a kunai, giving her the opportunity to punch a Sound nin in the gut, causing him to stumble backwards and fall onto his back.

Yes, she smirked, such a self-imposed rule would guarantee victory. Actually.. wasn't victory already achieved? There didn't seem to be anymore enemy ninja in the arena.

Hanako stumbled to Kurenai's side, almost colliding with the red-eyed woman. She mumbled an apology before looking around at her surroundings, biting her bottom lip again so hard she felt like it was about to bleed. There were fallen Leaf ninja everywhere, some twitching with the last breaths of life, and others completely destroyed. There were also fallen Sound and Sand nin, fortunately. These people hadn't given their lives for nothing.

They're were craters from the powerful jutsu used, but that's not what was gathering everyone's attention. The shadow of a hawk was seen and Hanako looked up to the skies to see it, a brown bird flying.

"That's.." Guy began.

"Finally, eh?" Kakashi added.

The signal! Good, now those ANBU can finally put their lives to use! Honestly, had they been just sitting around waiting for that ridiculous bird instead of using their instincts and fighting off the snakes and ninjas?

Hanako shook her head. No matter. It was not her place to complain. She had never, and would never be an ANBU. Stealth was not her strong suit.

Leaning on the railing and taking a deep breath, the woman closed her eyes and rested her head on her hands.

.

.

.

No matter how strong she was, no matter how powerful she could be, it didn't matter if she had beaten those fools. She could still not bring her sister back to life. Even if it were just for a minute, Hanako would give anything. Just so that.. Maybe she could apologize for those years..

.

.

* * *

><p><strong>P.O.V. change - Kotone <strong>

**~.~**

**.**

**.**

**.**

The girl stumbled, almost completely collapsing as the trees surrounding her gave off the image of binds and chains. She was hallucinating. There was a one hundred percent chance of that. And she knew exactly why. She had expended too much chakra. Sure, it was a very sufficient and excellent way of getting rid of opponents, but it put much strain on the small genin's body, despite her efforts to overcome such weakness.

Her training consisted of so much practice, sending attack after attack, but.. something about that puppeteer sent .. some sort of.. emotion spiraling through her.. It weakened her.. It made her.. small.

Kotone tripped again, this time really falling to the ground below. She would no longer be able to assist the Uchiha, or even be of any use at the moment. There was another emotion flowing through her veins.. Maybe.. Maybe she wanted to fight the beast Gaara would become..?

Pain rippled through her body and she opened her mouth to let out a blood-curdling scream, on the ground of the forest, and blood trickling from her lips. No, it was no use. This was her punishment. Konohagakure had done something to her.. It had weakened her.. It gave her something she wanted.. NO!

Kotone squirmed in agony, gasping for breath. What had this place done to her..? She was once, truly the perfect being! But now.. She was nothing more than all of the others around her.

Arms lifted the girl and the pain inside of her body tripled. Lips floated near her pale ears, and eyes the color of death peered into her.

"**Honestly**.. **Aren't you glad that I came here to get you**..?"

Kotone was dropped to the ground and quickly positioned herself in an obedient bow.

"I was careless."

"**Yes, yes, you were. Really, you thought you could just lose all of your strength just like that? Just because I left you scamper off to this place like a little rabbit**?"

The girl was slapped hard across the face.

"**I created you to be the ultimate being**!** Trust me, if my brother was here, this punishment would be oh-so-much lighter, now wouldn't it**?** You fool**!** You don't deserve to have emotions**!** I came all this way to repair you, and look what you've done**!** That boy with the ridiculous make up**!** You were practically**..** HUMAN**!"

Kotone was backhanded roughly.

"**It's not like I expect that much from you. I gave you everything**!** Strength, skill, the ultimate jutsu, and this is how you repay your beloved**.."

"Master. What would you command me to do?"

"**Give up on helping that idiot boy! You aren't his friend, you aren't his acquaintance, you don't have any friends, you freak**!"

"Yes, Master."

"**Don't 'Yes, Master' me**! **I came here because you needed a lesson, and here I am, wasting my precious time on you**! **I should double, no, triple the torture that's constantly going through your veins**!"

"Master, I suggest you do not, for despite my inability to die by your hand, the pain I am dealing with now is almost unbearable."

"**There you go again, going off and acting like you care**! **SHUT UP, you idiot**! **Just SHUT UP**!"

The pale genin was hit violently and was knocked to the ground.

"**Really, I should just snap your neck.. O**r,** or something**! **If my brother wasn't** .." The man before Kotone flipped his long white hair, sighing, "**Alright, okay, I've cooled down. Smacking you around isn't going to help much**.. **But it did make me feel better**..."

"Master, do as you please."

"**I know that, you SCUM**! **Now, since I'm here, I'm going to lay down some rules. If you ever, ever, ever try to act human again.. I will personally come back here and triple the torture, you understand**?"

"Yes, Master."

"**Ugh, you sound so ridiculously stupid. I'll be taking my leave now, but remember those rules. Or else**."

"Master.. May I ask of you .."

"**I can let something slide. My brother has been biting his fingernails for you, so I'll see**."

"May I go after the Uchiha and the Jinchuuriki?"

The man with the long white hair put a finger to his chin.

".. **I .. I suppose. I mean, I guess it wouldn't hurt for you to fight a worthy opponent.. But then again, I don't want my brother crying to me when you get smashed to pieces**."

"I calculated that.. I may or may not assist them. There is .. a small chance I will go back on that calculation."

"**Hmm? Is that your way of saying you're going no matter what? Well then, go on and get yourself killed. I want to go home and relax.. And enjoy the view, neh**?"

In a matter of seconds, Akuma disappeared and Kotone stared up at where he had once been.

Was he really allowing her to do this? Was he really going to let this happen? Deciding that she would not wait and find out, Kotone leapt into the trees, immediately analyzing how she could assist the fighters up ahead.

What did it seem like to her..? What was the word...? It could explain it.. She was doing something..

.

.

.

.

.

Good.

* * *

><p><strong>.<strong>

**.**

**.**

By the time, the pale girl had arrived, there was nothing for her to accomplish. In the back of her mind, she calculated that it was best that she hadn't been given a chance to interfere. Akuma most likely let her go just to amplify her torture. His name truly suited him.

Kotone stopped, watching as Kankuro (her foolish actions came to mind and she decided to ignore him) and Temari were retreating, their youngest sibling in their arms.

Her feet were firmly planted onto the ground, watching as they were beginning to make their way towards her, probably planning to pass her.

Perhaps..

"Stop."

The girl's mouth was shut.

The Sand Siblings stopped their retreat and Gaara looked up at the pale girl with teal eyes .. that were empty, no longer holding the hatred that Kotone had once recognized. The boy, Naruto, seemed a bit more influential than the girl first calculated.

"Is there something you wanted to say to me, Sabaaku no Gaara? For there is no urge in my mind to speak with you."

The redheaded [A/N: People say it's brown, but I mean, seriously?] genin stared her down intensely before saying blankly, "I'm sorry."

.

.

.

.

The trio leapt off as Gaara lowered his head, and Kotone stared off into the distance, not throwing out a hand to stop the retreating enemies. She had no response for such a statement.

There was no longer a reason to stay there.

* * *

><p><strong>P.O.V. change - Hanako<strong>

**~.~**

**.**

**.**

**.**

Kabuto escaped. He was Orochimaru's henchman. The Sand jounin escaped. He was probably an important piece in Orochimaru's plan.

They all escaped.

.

.

.

She was too weak. If she had been stronger, maybe she could've broken through the barrier and saved the Hokage.

No. She was weak. She couldn't do anything except for stand by and watch the old man get slain by his old student.

The woman's eyes were glazed over, as though her mind was elsewhere. It was. The Hokage was dead. Who would they choose to lead their Village now? The Village.. It was practically destroyed now. Those snakes had done more damage than Hanako at first believed.

And so, being the weakling she was, the woman walked away from the old man's body and went home, hiding her shameful tears.

* * *

><p><strong>P.O.V. change - Hiromi<strong>

**~.~**

**.**

**.**

**.**

The funeral was held seemingly the day after the attack. Hiromi had been woken up eventually, and things were explained to her by Kiba, who seemed sorrowful as well. Team 14 gathered together to go as a team, of course, but Hanako hadn't even bothered showing up, as well as Kotone, and so Hiromi and Maiko decided to go together, wearing the black dresses they had both been given.

The blonde girl with her hair free from any sort of braid looked a little older in the outfit, grief clearly written in her eyes.

Maiko was the same, her odd eyes focusing on the ground, and her fingers fidgeting with the hem of the dress.

The ceremony was special, each person atop of the Hokage's office-like building having a single white rose to place near the Hokage's picture. The genin were all lined up, and when Hiromi received her rose, tears began slipping from her eyes.

She hadn't been as close to the Hokage as Naruto, or Konohamaru (she met him once..), but she knew him, and he knew her.

**. . .**

"_Hyah! Hyah!" The small girl grunted, throwing punches like her life depended on it. _

_ The Hokage watched with an entertained grin, as the blonde child tripped on her own feet and fell face-first into the dirt. _

_ He revealed himself from his observing point as the girl began to cry loudly and knelt by her side. _

"_Why do you cry, young one?" He asked. _

_ His friendly, grandfather-like appearance caused the child to wipe away her tears, her big blue eyes still glossy. _

"_I'm a big, fat failure, Hokage-sama. I'll never be like my mummy and daddy.." _

_Sarutobi laughed heartily, laying a hand on the girl's shoulder. She almost started crying again, thinking he was laughing at her. _

"_Q-quit laughing at me!" She choked out. _

_The Hokage smiled, "I am not laughing at you, Hiromi. It's simply strange that you would call yourself a failure, when before me, I see a young girl, shining beautifully like a flower!" _

_The girl's lip quivered, remembering earlier the lesson on flower decorating, "A-... A flower?" _

"_Why, yes," the old man continued, "Some flowers may seem beautiful than others, but I believe that all of them are equal." _

_ He pointed to a gorgeous daisy growing nearby. _

"_I also believe that even a beautiful daisy doesn't see just how magnificent it truly is. It may even be thinking, 'I am not as amazing as the rose, for the rose is truly amazing'. Do you see, Hiromi, what exactly I mean?"  
><em>

"_But.." The child's lips were still quivering, her eyes now seemingly jell-o as well, "that flower's really pretty, Hokage-sama!" _

"_Indeed, and you see, you, too, are like this flower. It sees the prospering flowers around it, but does not realize that it is one of the most magnificent of them all." _

_ Hiromi sobbed loudly, and the Hokage let her cry into his jacket, patting her back with a reassuring expression. _

**. . .**

The girl with the bright blue eyes that were now spilling tears, laid down her rose and smiled, whispering quietly.

.

.

"Thank you, Hokage-sama. You were the most amazing of them all."

* * *

><p><strong>P.O.V. change - Maiko<strong>

**~.~**

**.**

**.**

**.**

The green-haired girl snatched up a rose, looking at it with a sorrowful gaze. She, too, didn't hang around the Hokage very often, though sometimes he popped in for a visit during their training.

Of course, though, as a child.. He had been someone she admired. Even now, he seemed like he was fighting until the death, struggling to put the Village before everything else.

**. . .**

_Tears fell from her eyes at an alarming rate. Surely, she would run out of tears eventually. Surely. Maybe, if she was lucky, she would drain her entire body of tears, and die. Yes, that would be a nice ending to her miserable life. _

"_Class! Listen up!" _

_ Oh, yes, of course, Iruka-sensei. Of course. My tears will halt for you, and I will live a happy life. The end. _

"_Today, the Hokage himself will be speaking, so listen well!" _

_ The old man walked into the room unceremoniously and his eyes immediately fell upon Maiko's. Oh, yes, of course, Hokage-sama. Of course. My rears will halt for you, and I will live a happy life. The end. _

_ For the rest of the class, he spoke blandly about being the Hokage, and when class was dismissed, the girl with the choppy green hair and bandages all around her body stood and dragged herself to the door. _

"_Maiko, if you don't mind, could you stay behind for a moment?" _

_ That wasn't even a question. I can't say no. He's the Hokage. _

"_Sure." _

_ The girl's dull eyes met the Hokage's, and he sat down in a seat with authority. _

"_I understand your grief." _

"_NO, YOU DON'T!" The child screamed in a furious temper, "YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND ANYTHING! YOU OLD (Curse.)! NONE OF YOU UNDERSTAND!" _

_The Hokage frowned, "Do you not realize how much you have in common with Sa-" _

"_HE DOESN'T UNDERSTAND, NONE OF YOU.. None.. Understand.." Maiko's eyes brimmed with tears, and she fell to the ground in a heap of sobs. _

_ The old man stood and helped her to her feet, watching her eyes seemingly glaze over with death. _

"_Maiko, you mustn't let their actions affect you in such a way that you are bent in a way that you will never recover." _

_ The girl looked up at him with spite. _

"_You don't get it! I can't even.. I can't even do anything.. There's no one for me to try and take revenge on.. All I can do is keep living my miserable life with this... this.. this curse." _

"_The Dragon Eyes are no curse, Maiko. They may not be a gift, but they are what make you strong." _

"_Are you saying I can't be strong without them!" _

"_No, young one. I am saying that to be at such a young age, and to have suffered such an event, has made you stronger than ever before." _

_ Maiko looked down at the ground and mumbled. _

"_What was that?" The Hokage asked. _

_The tomboy's chin touched her neck, "Thanks, old man." _

_ Sarutobi smiled, watching her drag herself into a march out of the room. Yes, she was a strong one indeed. _

**. . .**

Maiko dropped her rose onto the others, glaring at his photo with what looked like anger. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

.

.

"Yeah.. Thanks, old man."

* * *

><p><strong>P.O.V. change - Hanako<strong>

**~.~**

**.**

**.**

**.**

After much convincing from herself, the black-haired zombie had arrived at the funeral, right after seemingly everyone had disappeared.

She marched to the altar where a mountain of white flowers lay and frowned at the picture of the Hokage.

He had helped her throughout her life, starting when she was a little girl. He had been the one to suggest that she needed a doctor's help, and the one who had paid for the appointments that got her nowhere at all, but still gave her the feeling of being loved.

This man, was everyone's savior.

**. . .**

_ The funeral was a pretty one, with lots of flowers, and people dressed in black. Hanako wore her best kimono, pink with lots of petals on it. People looked at her strangely, but she strutted to the altar with the girl's picture on it without a care in the world. _

"_She was your sister, wasn't she?" _

_The black-haired little girl turned and faced the old man beside her, who stared at the picture with intensity, as though he was trying to decipher if it was Hanako or Haruko. How could such a fool confuse the two? They may've been twins, identical in every way, from their pink lips to their black hair, but they were very different. _

_ Haruko was the peace child, elegant and beautiful in every way, slow to anger, and not usually getting involved in other people's problems. She had boys dying to hold her hand at recess, and all the girls wanted to be like her._

_ Hanako was a very energetic girl, a tomboy in every way, easily angered and always protecting others. The boys fought with her like one of their own, and the girls called her names behind her back._

_ So, it was all very confusing when she died like this. Had it not been for the note, no one would've come to a conclusion. _

"_Yeah, she was. We were twins." _

_The Hokage placed a hand on Hanako's shoulder._

"_Do you feel responsible for her death?" _

_ He hit the nail right on the head, and the girl shoved him away. _

"_Of course I do, you (curse.)! She committed suicide! She hung herself in **our** room! And.. And.. It was all my fault." _

_Sarutobi looked up at the sky, noticing that there was not even a sign of rain. It was almost worrying._

"_Did you read her note?" _

_._

_._

_._

"_I.. yes." _

"_What did it say?" _

"_.. 'I'm sorry, please forgive me for this sinful act. I am not fit to be the next leader of our clan'." _

"_Does it say that it is your fault?" _

"_No, but.. But.. If I had just.. If I had just said this, or, or, or done that! I could've .. I could've stopped her. If I had taken on more responsibilities, or.." _

"_It was not your fault, Hanako. Please, don't take this burden onto your shoulders." _

_ And thus, the man disappeared, causing the girl to turn and watch him leave, her eyes catching another's instantly._

.

.

"_What the (curse.) do you think you're doing here, Kakashi?" _

_._

_._

_._

"_She was a friend of mine, too, you know." _

"_... Yeah. I guess she was." _

**. . .**

The old man was there for her when she started trying to _be _her sister. He was there trying to coax her out of the darkness of insanity. He was her friend. And now, she had to keep going. She was a kunoichi, (curse.) it! She needed to brush this off, unlike Haruko's death.

She needed to be strong, for she was not strong enough for her sister. She needed to be strong for everyone else, now. She could do it.

.

.

.

She could.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:**

**.**

**.**

**.**

**.**

**.**

**.**

**.**

**This was only 21 pages on Microsoft Word, I'm really sorry for the short chapter. I just felt like I should get a chapter up. I will edit it if there are any complaints, but for now, please look forward to chapter 23!**

**Also, come visit me on my tumblr, ** .com**! There's nothing on it now, but I'll be uploading day-by-day stuff! I follow back, so go on ahead! Let's be friends ;D**


	24. Chapter 23

**A/N: Geez XD Sorry for the long wait! I've been SUPER busy lately! **(That is a total lie. I've been laying around eating chips and being lazy. I didn't have much inspiration, and I'm really sorry for that) **Anyways, despite my busyness, I present to you, Chapter23! I am really not liking this chapter, but it needs to get out there! Besides, Sasuke isn't in the hospital from the lightning attack thing during that weird arc with the race for a while, so uhh enjoy, my lovelies! Oh, btw, the story will be ending near the time that Sasuke runs away to be a part of Orochimaru's boy band! Okay? OKAY?! Okay c: Also.. I'm beginning to get really lazy about the 'thanks to..' stuff.. I think I'm gunna stop doing it :D eventually.**

_**Thanks to...**_

* * *

><p><strong>{Reviewers}<strong>

OuO

[ILOVEANIME123] - aww, i love anime too ;) she will eventually, i promise c: Thank you for your consideration and review~! Please enjoy this new chapter!

[bored411] - Ahh, you are too kind c: Thank you very much! I thought maybe someone would think it was lame, but that makes me feel so much better about it~! Here's an update, I hope you enjoy it~! Thank your for your review!

[MaoIsSleepy] - Hanako had a bad past, and didn't react well from it. Due to the loss of her closest friend, her twin sister, she decided to put a part of her sister inside of herself (ughh creepy), by acting like her sister a lot. I've never had a sister, so I hope I depicted this interaction well!

There shall be more Sasuke and Gaara interaction the second Sasuke is put into the hosptial and runs away to lovely, dashing Orochimaru XD I swear it! Omg, i have to mention this XD do you remember when Shikamaru and Temari are like, 'bai sweetie love you' at the gates? Apparently, she and her bros taught at the academy, and when I rewatched this episode I about peed myself imagining Gaara being like, "Sand.. burial!" the second someone decided to try and leave class.. I am so awful XD

Anyways, thank you very much for the review~!

[Animefangirl95] - I made my tumblr and well.. I forgot my password the second I created it. So it may take me a while to do this XD I'm really sorry! Plus I'm lazy, so there's pretty much nothing on it.. Haha.. I'm SORRY XD When I get it up and running again, I'll ask for your username again because I will surely forget that too c:

Ahhh, yes, you finally got to see a little of Master XD But.. strange.. He mentioned a brotheradfoghjadflkgj and even stranger.. He mentioned Kotone having a LOVER? Whaaat? ;)

Hanako's past i'm guessing XD Yes, she had a really depressing past c: Like everyone else from this fanfic except for Hiromi who is seminormal.

Aww, thank you c: Yes, her eyes are called the Dragon Eyes! She used their ability during the chunin exams.. Strange.. I wonder what that ability is ;) Nahh, you have no details about her family c: good. hehehehe I shall never tell you about her family :D .. No joke.. Info about her family won't be shown until the sequel.. Hehe.. Sorry.

Hiromi grows in this chapppter XD I made this chapter for this reason.. I'm sorry if it sucked..

Thank you for reading and reviewing~!

[Yami Mizuna] - Thank you XD awww a new fannnn XD Thank you for reading! omg i love youuu c: O_o .. I love Black Butler. Especially Grell. I feel so honored that you think that Akuma is like him.. He kinda is XD Thank you so much for reading and reviewing~~!

[Yami Mizuna] - (Chapter 8) - thanks

[Eternal Cat Moon] - Hi Renaldo moon c: omg do you even read these 'thank you' notes XD i'm practically praising your username. Ahh, sorry it was sad o.o it needed to happen thoughhh. Akuma is Master c: Or is he? Here is an update, love c:

thank youuuu :D

[Yamiroo Alice] - I'm so sorry XD But I gotta keep her secrets under wraps! You'll discover everything in a few chapters! And that's when the story ends c: Thank you for reading and reviewing! Btw, thank you for the PM I changed my profile a bit so that the information you gave me is involved XD Thanks a lot!

[TinyDancerYoyo] - Ahh, I love long reviews c: Let's get started~

Ahh, thank you very much :D I don't find many series I like either, so I know how it feels! Thank you so much for choosing my story XD I really appreciate it! Two days.. o.o my chapters are very short and disappointing.. I'm glad you like them though :) Ahhh~! Are youu? XD Thank you so much!

Hanako is in this chapter! She is, I swear, she is! XD awwww thank you so much! I'm glad you like her c: All these compliments.. she'd love you X)

Ahh, yes. She's my lovely annoying tomboy c: LOLOLOL she really is a brat XD I'm so happy that you care for herdfhg;adfg I'm so sorry I can't reveal very much to you.. Or anyone XD Her backstory really isn't revealed until the sequel to this story.. Hehehe.. Sorry X3 Thank you c; for this story it's really hard to keep so much a secret.. But it's fun c:

Hiromi is my precious uke! I mean, uhh, princess ... . .. Right. Princess. Ahh, I'm afraid Kiba really won't be helping her very much v: He helped when they were little, though! Hiromi grows up some in this chapter, and this is really the starting point of her maturing c:

Kotone is my little doll :D Ahh, I wonder how you will react when the truth is revealed.. Hehehe XP

Such a long review.. I love it XD I really appreciate this! Thank you so much for your kindness and consideration! I hope you continue to read and enjoy my story~!

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><p><em>Favoritings\_

OwO

{Yami Mizuna} - Ahh, thank you so much c:

{moni-neechan} - I really appreciate your existence, nee-chan! :D

{TinyDancerYoyo} - THANKS SO MUCH! :P

* * *

><p><span>[Followers]<span>

OvO

/Yami Mizuna\ - Thank you for your kindness :]

/Yamiroo Alice\ - Arigatō! :D I replied to your PM btw.

\ - Toph.. Hyuuga..? Is that a ship O_o Cuz I think it would totally sail itself if it was. Sorry XD Thank you very much~!

/moni-neechan\ - dank u. That was dutch I think XD Google Translate only goes so far..

/c00kies'N'cream234\ - .. I freaking LOVE cookies n' cream ice cream. We need to hook up. (P.S. Thank you for following c:)

/TinyDancerYoyo\ - dziękuję. That is 'thank you' in Polish o.O I would never get anywhere if I went there.

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><p><strong>-:- If I forgot you, I apologise! -:-<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>AN: I love all of you and I hope you all are getting back into the swing of things for school c: Aww yeah. I love school. NOT. **

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><p><strong>-:- I do not own Naruto, just my OC's. -:-<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>.<strong>

**.**

**.**

Hiromi wiped some sweat off of her forehead, taking a deep breath. She and her parents- no, the whole village was working to rebuild the village. It was challenging, and most certainly something the short genin wasn't used to, but it was still exciting to be of use for once.

The blonde girl ended her small break and lifted a wooden board off the ground with much effort, the construction material weighing at least fifty-three thousand pounds (an exaggeration, of course). She stood on the tips of her toes, lifting the heavy weight over her head to hand to her father, who was sitting on higher ground, repairing their neighbor's home, the Suzuki's who were still expecting their child. Since Mr. Suzuki refused to leave his wife's side, considering the baby was to born any minute, and he was still shaken by Orochimaru's attack, the Sato's happily offered to help repair the damages themselves, free of charge.

Hiromi snapped out of her daze, realizing that her father had relieved her of the large plank she had been holding. She leapt down from where she had once been standing, and grabbed yet another plank, looking up at the Suzuki's house to survey what they had done so far.

Though not quite finished, the home was slowly being transformed back to its original appearance. Inside, Hiromi's mother was cleaning out the rubble and recovering whatever furniture the Suzuki's had that hadn't been crushed.

The blonde lifted the material over her head once more, her arms feeling like jell-o. While their own house still needing a few touch-up repairs, she was not in a rush. She felt.. Useful. And it was a nice feeling.

**.**

**.**

**.**

* * *

><p><strong>-:-Maiko-:-<strong>

**~.~**

**.**

**.**

**.**

"GAHHHH!"

"Eh? Mai-chan! Did you smash your finger again?!"

"Ugh.. Yes."

The tomboy was writhing on the ground, blowing on her now black pointer finger. Daisuke stood over her, shaking his head, causing his long locks to dance.

"Honestly, I don't know why you even bother to try and help.."

"You big jerk!" Maiko growled, "I've helped a lot so far, right?"

Dai sighed, "I suppose, but you've smashed almost every single one of your fingers. Why don't you help me with the bricks or something?"

"Ugh.. You sure I won't be killed or something..?"

"... I'm positive."

The green-haired genin, who was covered in sawdust from head to toe, stood and kissed her own finger, wrapping it carefully in a roll of bandages that was placed nearby for her sake.

Daisuke lifted her onto his back, chuckling.

"I'll take you to the second floor. That's where all the damage was done."

"Whaaat? You mean I've been doing practically nothing down here?"

"No, no, you've been fixing the windows."

"Dang it, this sucks."

"I guess you're right."

The two arrived on the second level of their house easily, and began their work, Maiko complaining about her 'broken' fingers and Daisuke doing most of the repairing.

**.**

**.**

**.**

* * *

><p><strong>-:-Hanako-:-<strong>

**~.~**

**.**

**.**

**.**

She sat in her apartment, taking note of the fact that her room was completely in tact, none of her precious items out of place. A picture of her team sat perched on her desk, accompanied by a picture of Haruko and herself, the two of them in identical clothing, but smiling in completely different ways.

The beautiful woman strutted to the picture, her modern dress shuffling due to the movement. She wrapped her slightly pale fingers around the frame and frowned into the eyes of her former self, wondering how she was ever that happy. Hanako dropped the picture onto the desk, letting it clash with a loud noise.

She walked to her balcony, taking note of all the damage done. She wasn't exactly a team player, so she had decided not to try and help the builders. The dark-haired jounin leapt down to the ground from her perch above, landing in a graceful style, before heading to the Hokage's building, knowing full well how ridiculous her plan was, but still not retreating.

It was time for her will of fire to kick in. She wasn't going to let that snake get away with what he did.

**.**

**.**

**.**

* * *

><p><strong>-:-No one-:-<strong>

**~.~**

**.**

**.**

**.**

Hiromi, Maiko and Kotone all stood patiently at the gates of Konoha. After all of their work had been finished, the sun having had disappeared earlier, they each received a note from Hanako-sensei telling them to meet up at the gate at exactly nine thirty.

"Ugh, why does she even bother setting a specific time if she never shows up?" Maiko groaned.

It was at least eleven now.

"I do show up, thank you very much," Hanako said firmly, walking out promptly from the darkness, "I just don't show up exactly on time."

Maiko cursed under her breath and Hiromi smiled.

"Sensei! Where are we going?"

"Well," the woman put a finger to her chin, "I decided you guys were getting lazy, so I took on a mission. Sure, it was hard, since the Hokage isn't alive anymore, but the elders allowed me to take this... special assignment."

Hiromi flinched at the mention of the old man, and Maiko tightened her jaw.

"Where are we to go?" Kotone asked blandly.

Hanako smirked, "We're going on a little trip, kiddos!"

"A trip..?" Hiromi blinked owlishly.

"Kiddos..?" Maiko frowned.

"We're going to.." The female jounin yanked a map out of her pack, pulling it open in a dramatic fashion, "The Rice Field Country!"

"What? What a stupid name," the tomboy of the group snorted.

"Shut up, twerp! The Rice Field Country is supposedly the hiding place of Orochimaru.. We're going there to do some scouting."

"Scouting? Does this mean we won't be attacking?" Hiromi inquired.

Hanako rolled up her map and shoved it back in her pack, "That's right. You won't. We're only going to take a look around; nothing more. Understood? I'll explain the rest of the mission when we reach a hotel or something around those lines."

Maiko howled into the air, something Hiromi thought only Kiba did, "YEAHHH! WHOOOHOOOO! WE _FINALLY _GET A MISSION! LET'S DO THIS!"

Her sensei smacked her upside the head with a snarl.

"You idiot! People are sleeping! Keep your mouth shut!"

"You old hag! I was just excited!"

"M-maiko-chan.. Hanako-sensei.. Please don't fight.. Let's just go.."

"Hmm," The dark-haired jounin smirked, "You're right. Let's get out of here. Everybody ready?"

Hiromi nodded, Maiko snorted an 'Of course!' and Kotone replied with a deadpanned 'Yes'.

"Alright then, let's head out!"

* * *

><p><strong>.<strong>

**.**

**.**

The girls arrived at the outskirts of a random village, lively; yet seemingly empty, early in the morning, the shortest of the genin prepared to faint and Maiko falling asleep while standing.

"Alright, you little brats! Time for our scouting plan to begin! Go on ahead and take off your Leaf forehead protectors and hide them in your bags," Hanako commanded with authority.

The genin obeyed; Hiromi unwrapped her belt-like, red headband while Maiko and Kotone flicked their hair back to its original placing on their foreheads as their own blue headbands were removed. They slithered their objects of identification into appropriately hidden pockets in their bags then awaited their sensei's orders, as she did the same.

"I have a plan, but it will only work if you girls are willing to help me complete it."

The blonde girl with bright, round, blue eyes nodded quickly.

"We're going to split into teams of two after we get our hotel room situated. Those teams will go and try and investigate the whereabouts of Orochimaru and or Kabuto. Do you understand?"

"Yeah, but, what happens if one of the teams is caught and needs help?" Maiko asked with a determined expression.

"I hate to say this, but," Hanako frowned, "you're on your own there. That's why I'm splitting you up depending on ability, okay? You and Kimiko-san will be Team A, and Sato-san and I will be Team B. If anything should happen and neither of you are capable of handling the situation, you must try every possible escape route. Understood?"

"Yes, sensei!"

"And Arakawa-san," The slender jounin added, slipping a hand into her pack, "I'm going to need you to wear these."

"Eh? What the (curse.)?"

In Hanako's delicate hand was a pair of dark sunglasses.

"You need to cover up your eyes. Honestly, your Kekkai Genkai would give you away before you could blink."

Maiko slid the glasses on, taking note of the fact that she felt utterly ridiculous. Hiromi stifled a laugh, noticing just how odd her teammate looked, wondering in the back of her mind what Kotone would look like in such a unique accessory.

"Alright, let's get a cheap room, and start this mission! We've got a limit of two days to spend here, since I'm needed back at the village, so let's accomplish a lot, okay?"

"Right!"

**.**

**.**

**.**

* * *

><p><strong>-:-Team A-:-<strong>

**~.~**

**.**

**.**

**.**

Kotone and Maiko walked leisurely, the first staring at the area straight ahead of her and the second glancing around wearily, trying to see apprehensive behavior. The tomboy stopped walking, narrowing her eyes at an extremely quiet fruits salesman, but started running ahead to catch up to her pale teammate, who seemed to find nothing suspicious at all.

"I am going to step inside this building."

The green-haired genin kept walking, not realizing that her teammate had spoken. Kotone repeated herself until Maiko turned and raised a brow at her.

"Eh? Why?"

"We were told to investigate, so I am going to do so. I calculate a fifty-one percent chance that you will become separated from me if you leave from this spot, so I suggest you do not."

"Well, umm, okay."

The blob of white disappeared into the dark, tavern-like building, and Maiko lazily dug her heels in the ground. She pushed up her sunglasses and looked around, not noticing anyone particularly odd looking.

She turned her shielded eyes to her wrapped feet, humming a tune. Abruptly, a shiver traveled down her spine, and the girl looked up quickly, her throat suddenly tightening and her lungs giving off the feeling of being squeezed.

. . .

Yes, that was quite suspicious behavior.

. . .

A pair of two figures, clad in black cloaks with red cloud decorations on them, strolled down the street, innocently carrying what looked like some sort of grilled food. They both wore strange hats upon their heads, bells dangling and dancing as they moved.

They were coming closer.. Should she run? Something about the pair radiated malice, and the voices in Maiko's head seemed to come to an abrupt stop.

As they came to be directly in front of the tomboy, the shorter of the two figures seemed to turn his or her head to send a condescending glance at her. Her heart seemed to stop beating and she ignored the fact that she was staring, her sunglasses beginning to slide down her nose.

Everything around seemed to be black and white, the only colored figures the ones in the cloaks.

Maiko let her eyes trail to the figure's feet, taking note of the fact that the nails were painted a seemingly dark color. Her sunglasses slid even further down, due to her nervous sweat.

She tried to move her hands to push them back up, but her limbs seemed to be frozen. Everyone seemed to be frozen. Everything seemed to stop and stare at the two figures, who had, in her mind, not moved a single inch.

"Please refrain from letting the covering on your eyes become useless."

A pale figure suddenly became visible at her side and before Maiko could tell Kotone she was frozen, she had pushed the glasses up.

The tomboy turned hurriedly to the cloaked figures, but found that they had long since disappeared.

"But.. They were.." She whispered.

"I estimate a thirty-two percent chance that the people you were once gaping at have long since disappeared."

"But.. I ... I .." Maiko's voice seemed to quiver, but she stopped herself from crying (why would she even want to tear up for such a silly mistake?), stating firmly, "I guess I was just seeing things or something. Let's go back to the hotel it's getting kind of late."

"Understood."

**.**

**.**

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* * *

><p><strong>-:-Hotel-:-<strong>

**Maiko**

**~.~**

**.**

**.**

**.**

Maiko fell onto the bed, mumbling nonsense into it, ignoring the other three females in the room as she scratched her back lazily.

The hotel room Hanako had picked contained two double beds and a tiny bathroom with a cramped shower, a small toilet, and a sink crammed into a corner.

The tomboy removed her sunglasses and threw them across the room, not caring if they broke or not.

"Honestly! If you hadn't worn those, who knows how many people would be trying to gouge your eyes out," Hanako hissed.

Maiko waved her off, slithering into the bathroom to change into pajamas. She undressed, slipped into her sleepwear, and then proceeded to stare into her eyes, sighing when she realized that the black lines of her eyes had grown even thicker. She prayed no one would notice before jumping out of the bathroom and diving onto the nearest bed and wrapping her limbs around the largest pillow there was.

She stared off into space, not acknowledging Hanako when she scolded her student for taking so long, and soon dozed off into a light sleep, dreaming of a black sky with red clouds.

**.**

**.**

**.**

* * *

><p><strong>Hiromi<strong>

**~.~**

**.**

**.**

**.**

She and Hanako had found absolutely nothing, encountering absolutely no one and accomplishing absolutely nothing. They had returned to the hotel earlier, showering and eating appropriately, both of them sitting on the rough carpet and chatting casually when Maiko crashed into the room with Kotone following silently behind her.

After changing, the green-haired genin had fallen asleep quickly, her bare arms and legs wrapped around a large pillow and a calmed expression on her face. Hiromi wondered vaguely if she was having a good dream.

The blonde girl had been brushing her Rapunzel-like hair for a while now, untying it from its fishtail braid with a content face. The feeling was soothing and calm, and before she knew it, Hiromi was as sleepy as ever, her golden mane fanned out around her as she lay on the hotel carpet and stared at the ceiling.

She had changed into her pajamas a short while back, the tank top and baggy pants being her absolute favorite, so she crawled atop of the emptier bed, not wishing to disturb Maiko, and slipped under the fluffy covers, wishing sleep upon herself until she saw Kotone sitting by the window and staring out of it with a blank expression.

Hiromi sat up.

"You should sleep, too, Kotone. You deserve it."

"I do not require rest."

The genin with the bright eyes almost protested, but realized quickly that her words would have no effect, so she rested her head back upon the pillow, falling almost instantly into a dreamless sleep.

**.**

**.**

**.**

* * *

><p><strong>Hanako<strong>

**~.~**

**.**

**.**

**.**

After changing into a modest nightgown and washing her face sufficiently, Hanako exited the bathroom and found that Maiko and Hiromi were dead asleep, one of the two sprawled across the bed with a pillow in her arms, and the other resting without movement except the rising of her small chest underneath the thick, yet light blankets.

Kotone sat by the window in a way that caused the moonlight from outside to cast upon her pale face and give off the image of a statue.

The dark-haired jounin slipped into the spot across from the pale girl and stared into her eyes.

"Why don't you take the spot beside Hiromi? She probably won't kick you like Maiko."

"I do not require sleep."

"Oh, yeah, of course."

"I suggest you rest, sensei."

Hanako sighed and leaned forward, so that she was closer to her student.

"Honestly, Kimiko-san. You don't need to protect us. It's okay to have someone protect you, sometimes, too."

When there was no reply, the jounin pressed her pink lips against the pale girl's forehead, in a way that reminded herself of the way her own mother would bid farewell to Haruko.

She stood up and made her way to the bed that Maiko occupied, before climbing in and shoving said green-haired menace away from her and resting her head against the white pillow.

It took a very long time, but eventually, the woman fell into a nightmare-filled, exhaustion induced sleep.

**.**

**.**

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* * *

><p><strong>-:-The Next Morning-:-<strong>

**No one**

**~.~**

**.**

**.**

**.**

The moment the sun rose, it was time to get moving again. Hanako yanked the covers out from underneath Maiko, sending her sprawling onto the ground, and Hiromi sat up after a smack to the face with a pillow, rubbing her tired eyes like a young child. Kotone had not moved from her placing near the window.

"Rise and shine, ladies! Time for us to spend our last day hunting for clues!" The stunning leader said cheerfully, somehow sparkling despite the fact that she herself had just risen.

"Noooo," Maiko grumbled, curling in a ball to search for warmth.

Hanako roughly prodded the younger girl with her bare foot, hissing.

"You little punk! You lanky shrimp! Get up! It's time for you and Kimiko-san to make yourselves useful to the village, so get up!"

The tomboy rolled lazily to the bathroom door, grabbing her backpack as she did so, and crawled into the small room pitifully, causing the jounin in charge to face palm.

Hiromi changed into her lightly colored clothes underneath the covers of the bed, and Kotone had not even put sleepwear on, so she stood idly by the door.

By the time all of the genin were ready, Hanako was dressed as well, her pale body clad in a tight red dress.

"Okay, everyone, today is the exact same. Instead of meeting at the hotel, we'll meet up at the entrance to this place, okay?"

"Understood."

"Alrighty!"

"Y-yes, ma'am!"

"Disperse! Sato-san and I will see you punks in a couple of hours!"

**.**

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* * *

><p><strong>-:-Team B-:-<strong>

**Hiromi**

**~.~**

**.**

**.**

**.**

The little girl must've looked like Hanako-sensei's child, the way she walked so closely by her, like a newborn duckling.

She couldn't help it! Her nerves took control of her body, and her knees shook if she was standing still! They were dealing with Orochimaru, here! One of the legendary sanin! He could be standing behind her for all she knew!

Hiromi turned around anxiously, but found no one but a simple looking young traveler, staring, confused, at his map.

She spun back around to face the red of Hanako's dress, and sighed in relief. The genin had not stopped fretting since she stepped out into this shady looking town. It was ridiculous how quickly the scenery would change from a ghost town to a lively marketplace.

"I'm going to get some tea, is that alright with you?"

Hiromi blanched.

"U-uhh, w-what?"

Hanako put her hands on her hips with a frown, "I said I'm going to get some tea. Will you all right on your own for a while? I'll find you once I'm done."

The blonde girl forced a smile onto her face, "U-uh, o-oh! Yeah, of course! I-I'll be perfectly fine!"

The jounin delicately grinned back, "Good! See you soon!"

The elegant red of her dress disappeared into a small building, and Hiromi stayed put, decided that she would just wait for her sensei instead of getting lost, trying to find information.

And so she waited.

And waited.

And waited.

And waited.

And waited.

And waited.

. . .

Hiromi poked her head inside of the teashop and frowned, finding to be strangely too dark to see anything.

She stepped inside the building, and looked around, her bright blue eyes gathering the attention of the traveler she had seen earlier, who sat in a corner with a green cup of tea.

And she looked.

. . .

"Umm, have you seen a tall, dark-haired woman with, uhh, a red dress come by here?"

The young man looked up at Hiromi strangely, before smiling softly and nodding.

"Yes, why, I did! I can take you to her, if you'd like! She went out the back door."

Hiromi's eye twitched. _Sensei.. Why did you go out of the back door..? I hate to think this, but I think you were avoiding me.. _

"A-ah, thank you, it's not a problem; I think I can find my way to her."

Before she could walk away, the traveler grabbed her wrist, a serious look on his face.

"No, trust me. There were some really big guys following her. You'd be in trouble if you went alone."

"No it's okay, I'm a -" Hiromi cut short, sealing off her words.

_I can't reveal to him that I'm a ninja! Well, I might as well just follow him.. _

"A-ah, you're right.. Lead the way, sir."

**.**

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* * *

><p><strong>-:-A little while later-:- <strong>

**.**

**.**

**.**

Hiromi trailed closely behind the stranger, sidling through tight alleyways, and racing around corners to keep up with him. Something about him made the girl nervous, so she decided that she had to keep a close eye on him.

Eventually, the two ended up in a wide empty street, and the genin anxiously eyed the traveler. He stood firmly, his expression unreadable.

"U-um.. are you sure this is where she went?" Hiromi asked.

The man didn't respond.

"Uhh.. Hello?"

When there was, yet again, no response, the girl took a step backwards.

"You.. I.."

Hiromi spun around hurriedly and was prepared to make a run for it, but suddenly the young man was directly in front of her, blocking her path.

_He's so quick! _The girl thought to herself nervously, _He must be a ninja! A.. Sound ninja! _

"W-who are you?" She asked, her voice quivering.

"I'm shocked you don't remember me.. Miss Sato."

Hiromi flinched. _How does he know my name? I've never seen this guy in my life! Oh no.. Don't tell me he's some kind of stalker!_

"I-I've never laid my eyes on you!"

The man made a hand sign, and it was suddenly obvious his appearance had been a transformation jutsu.

"I had nearly forgotten that I was using this jutsu.. Do you remember me, now?"

"K-kabuto!"

It was indeed, the silver-haired snake himself. His dark eyes were just as mocking as they were when he knocked out Kiba and Hiromi. Said blonde gritted her teeth, aware of how weak she felt. She walked right into his trap.

"Your innocence was to my advantage.. Strangely, you didn't suspect a complete stranger of malice and followed him.. Who knows what a normal man would've done to you.. Lucky for you, I'm not after that sort of thing."

The genin stepped backwards.

"I- .. I don't know what you're talking about, but.. But.. If you're not here for me.. What do you want?"

"Oh, I never said I wasn't here for you.. I am, in fact, here to kill you."

Hiromi blanched.

"W-what.."

"You and your little group have been snooping around, trying to find Lord Orochimaru.. Haven't you?"

The girl almost corrected him and said they were after the Sound village, but decided that snappy comments would not be the best decision right now.

When she didn't respond, Kabuto continued, "So.. Prepare yourself."

Hiromi did a quick back flip, dodging the incoming kunai by centimeters, and pulled out her own, countering the next weapon that was sent towards her.

As she continued to block the weapons, she moved backwards, until suddenly, Kabuto had a firm grip on her shoulders, and the clone in front of her cut deeply into her arm.

Hiromi shrieked in pain, the kunai going deep into her skin, blood flowing freely. She wondered vaguely in the back of her mind if this is how Maiko felt as the Chunin Exams when she had been stabbed in the leg. In a panic, she struggled, kicking the Kabuto behind her in between the legs, but succeeding at embedding the kunai further into her limb.

She swatted away the clone, and stumbled away from them, gripping her arm painfully. What could she do? What was she able to do? She was going to die by this man's hand! No.. No.. No!

The girl wiped off the blood from her hand hurriedly, yanking out the weapon with a scream. She eyed the approaching enemies and frowned. She needed to think of a plan. She needed to think of a PLAN!

"That was a .. low blow.. Don't you think?" Kabuto asked, pushing up his glasses from when he had doubled over in pain.

Unable to think of a witty response, Hiromi gulped and nodded lamely. She was going to die here. She was going to die here. She was going to die.

"Since you're so eager.. I may as well take my time."

The silver-haired four-eyes walked to the girl's side, and began to kick her viciously, causing her to whimper and cry out in pain. His clone had disappeared.

She was going to die here.. She was going to die. She was going to die. She was going to die. _What have I done? I've completely failed my family! Hanako-sensei.. No! She probably fell into Kabuto's trap and and.. and.. No.._

Tears spilt from the dam of Hiromi's eyes and she raised her arms in a sad attempt to hide them.

"You are a weakling! Are you weeping because you are going to die? You.. You're pathetic!"

The blonde girl attempted to roll away from Kabuto, but he stopped her, proceeding with jamming his foot into her sensitive stomach. Her tears dampened the ground beneath her and her cries were suddenly quiet sobs.

_I'm a failure.. I am a complete and total failure.. I'm really going to die here.. No.. no.. No.. _

Her blue eyes flew open as though she had just realized something important. Kabuto frowned.

. . .

_.. No!  
>.<em> . .

The girl leapt up and punched the man directly in the stomach, sending him stumbling back a few steps.

"I.. I won't die here! No!"

She sent the kunai that was drenched in her blood soaring towards Kabuto, who dodged it in a relaxed fashion. Hiromi threw yet another, this time a fresh one, not dirtied by the crimson liquid, and she forced a frown onto her face when the silver-haired man caught its hilt.

Her plan would work even better now..

Suddenly, the blonde began to run in circles around Kabuto, the hand facing him clenched in a fist.

"If you're trying to make me dizzy, it's not working.. You're not as fast as you think."

The blonde smirked, her shark-like, quick circling not stopping, "I'm not trying to make you dizzy.."

Kabuto raised a brow, then something caught his eye, metal gleaming the shine from the light.

"Wire!"

He looked down quickly, his eyes widened when he saw his body loosely wrapped in the thin material.

".. I see.. The kunai I caught.. You tied it with one of the ends of the wire, and kept the other end in your hand.. The circling was to wrap it all around me.. I see.."

Hiromi ceased her running, and yanked the wire in her hand, tightening the metal around the enemy's body.

"That's right! And don't even think I'm done with you yet!"

She threw another kunai, and Kabuto leaned back to avoid it, his eyes following it. But as he leaned back, Hiromi charged forward, performing a multitude of hand signs, and another three of herself appeared by her sides.

"A clone jutsu..? No.. You're not that advanced... A simple replication jutsu.."

The four disappeared and Kabuto looked around, anticipating an attack. Suddenly, they reappeared, and his contemplation was cut short. One appeared on his left, an elbow ready to strike him in the face. Was she the real one? Another on his right, also prepared to elbow him painfully. Perhaps it was that one! Below was one prepared to deliver an uppercut. Maybe it was her! No wait.. Where was the fourth?!

Kabuto leaned backwards, avoiding all three, and stumbling back thanks to the wire. He lifted his chin some to avoid the uppercut that the replication seemed too determined to deliver. Then it occurred to him.

ABOVE!

Hiromi appeared over him, surely the real one as the replications disappeared with white smoke, and thanks to his stumble and his lifted chin, whatever blow she was going to deliver, was going to maim.

Struggling to move, he couldn't budge, and the heel of the girl's foot, smashed into Kabuto's face, causing him to fall to the ground and groan in pain.

"I'm not done yet!"

In a flurry, Hiromi reappeared in front of the silver-haired menace, her clenched fist connecting with his chin. The uppercut was something even Hanako would be proud of. As the enemy was sent upwards, the blonde genin grabbed his shoulders and yanked him down, his eyes widening considerably and spit flying from his mouth when a knee jammed itself roughly into his midsection.

Hiromi released his shoulders, only to clench her fist and go about punching him viciously, almost like a boxer would.

"I'm not even close to finished! You better believe it!"

**.**

**.**

**.**

* * *

><p><strong>Hanako<strong>

**~.~**

**.**

**.**

**.**

The jounin leapt down from her position in a tree and smirked. She had watched the entire scene, and she couldn't even believe her eyes. It had only been a couple of minutes, but Hiromi had finished Kabuto, knocking him out completely after a couple of angry rounds and tied him up sufficiently to a nearby post.

Hanako clapped cheerfully, causing the ruffled blonde to turn with her fist raised, only to lower her hands and wave.

"That was mighty impressive!"

"A-ah.. Thank you, sensei.."

The beautiful woman knelt down to see eye-to-eye with Kabuto. She frowned.

"If only this was the real Kabuto, huh."

"Exact- .. What?" Hiromi gasped.

Hanako yanked the skin (the blonde genin yelped in panic) off of the man's face, and sighed.

"It's just a mask, really."

The girl with the braid groaned and held her face in her hands.

"But I don't really care that much."

Hiromi looked up at her sensei with a teary expression, "W-what..?"

"I'm so proud of you, Sato-san!" Hanako smiled brightly.

The blonde blinked owlishly, "W-.. But.. That isn't really Kabuto.. and I thought you were..?"

"Nope," the jounin shook her head, "I was watching the entire time."

Hiromi wasn't sure whether to be angry, or upset, so she simply kept quiet as her sensei continued.

"I was watching to make sure you wouldn't need my help. You're a ninja now, Sato-san. You've got to be able to take care of yourself."

The blonde nodded vaguely, wiping some sweat off of her brow.

"We learned a lot thanks to this, though. Our scouting was a lot more useful than you think. Are you ready to go on back to the village?"

Hiromi smiled softly, "Y-yes, ma'am."

**.**

**.**

**.**

* * *

><p><strong>-:-A while later-:-<strong>

**No one**

**~.~**

**.**

**.**

**.**

Maiko crossed her arms behind her head, listening with interest to Hiromi's tale. Team 14 now had their headbands back where they belonged, and were on their way out of the town. Apparently, there wasn't much to report from Team A, but Hanako-sensei seemed satisfied enough with the results.

She had praised her team cheerfully, and even promised to treat everyone to a treat of some sort.

Hiromi finished up her story of her battle and sent a small smile to her sensei. What she didn't add was the fact that as the two had begun traveling back to the meeting point, Hanako had revealed some promising plans..

**. . .**

_"You want to.. what?!" _

_"That's right.. From here on out, I'll be your personal trainer! While I'll still be your leader of Team 14, I will for now on be training you to become a better kunoichi! You understand?" _

_"I.. I.. Yes, ma'am!" _

**. . .**

She wasn't going to be a failure any longer.. She wasn't going to die! She had just barely proved herself to her leader, but now.. She would surely prove to her teammates that she could be strong! She could surely prove to the whole village, Neji included, that she wasn't a weakling!

"What's that weird look for, Hiromi-chan? You look like you wanna kill something.."

"A-ah, it's nothing, Maiko-chan."

It may take a while, but.. she'll do it! She'll become a powerful kunoichi! As Naruto says.. Believe it!

* * *

><p><strong>AN:**

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**Please look forward to Chapter 24! Thank you for reading! Go on my profile to read about the appearances of these OC's, if you'd like~!**


	25. Chapter 24

**A/N: Good afternoon! :D I'll go ahead and apologize for not updating! I have been SOOO busy with SOOO much CRAP that it took me AGES to finally get my hands on my keyboard XD Anyways, here's the next chapter! Sorry for the wait!**

**Thanks to.. (You can skip this part, if you'd like)**

* * *

><p><span>{Reviewers}<span>

[bored411] - Ah, yes :D Confidence is nice for someone like Hiromi! Here is the next update! I apologize for the long wait! Thank you for reviewing :)

[LadyFelton1994] - Ahhh thank you XD that's really kind of you to say! I'm glad you enjoy my story! Here is the new update, so please enjoy at your leisure! Thank you!

[Omigesh] - I suppose that's just her personality :o anyways, thank you for reviewing! Please enjoy this new chapter~!

[TinyDancerYoyo] - I apologize for the lack of that action D: I'm really sorry! OOOOHHH. Thank you very much XD that is so kind of you! Thank you for reviewing and thank you for your kindness :3!

[Eternal Cat Moon] - You do..? Ah thank you XD that's so kind of you! I was going through an OHSHC thing so that's why its my profile name :} but it's totally worth it! Here is an update, my friend! Enjoy at your leisure!

[Chichi4mangaHero] - thanks ;3

[Animefangirl95] - AHH SUCH A LONG REVIEW THANK YOUUUUU. I'm already back in school... And I think I'm already failing most of my classes :]

Hiromi trusts people too soon I suppose.. tsk tsk. hahahahahahas'padojg;aldhsfg XD OH NO I HOPE NO ONE IS MAD BECAUSE OF THAT AGHH IT'S JUST A SAYING SHE WON'T DO IT AGAIN AHH

AHH DANG IT MORE COPYRIGHT I'M SORRY IT'S JUST STUPID KIBA AHHHH. Right ;) suspicious people. NOT the Akatsuki.

Hanako got it from Kakashi :D hehe. I suppose she was in a good mood so she didn't kick her out XD

Really? Aww that's nice XD I guess Kotone does sorta have her own thing! I'm glad you like it :D

Hiromi is going to be paired with Kiba :3 and Neji with Tenten, since you suggested it.

DON'T BE SORRY MY LOVE IT'S PERFECTLY FINE - I'M THE ONE WHO SHOULD BE SORRY ENJOY THIS CHAPTER IF YOU'D LIKE

[MaoIsSleepy] - BWUAHADFGJSADFL'GJAHAHAHAAHAH HIROMI-CHAN AHDHFGADHFG :') ahh. Thank you for reviewing.. That made my day XD Please enjoy this next chapter!

[NumberOneNarcissist] - ... Is this one of the guys from Yumeiro Patissiere..? Here's an update XD I'm sorry for taking so long! Please enjoy!

[SoraLover987142] - Maybe.. Maybe not! I hope you read this chapter c: thank you for the review!

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><p><strong>Disclaimer : <strong>I do not own Naruto!

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><p><strong>AN: Ahhh~! All done with this chapter :D I hope you all enjoy it! Be sure to check out my profile for the profiles of these characters!**

**I love you all!**

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><p>"Ehh? <em>The<em> Uchiha Sasuke is in the hospital?"

"Y-yes, _hyah!_, he's apparently injured from an encounter, _hyah!_, with a foreign ninja!"

"Hmm. That's weird.. He's always seemed like a strong genin."

"He really, _hyah_!, is! He just, _hyah_! I'm sorry Maiko, but _hyah_! I need to pay attention to trai- _Ah_!"

The blonde girl, whose long hair was tied up delicately in two braids, fell to the ground, a red wound on her shoulder forming. Sitting on the sidelines were Maiko, whose nose was stuck in a comic book, and Kotone, but she seemed absorbed in looking up at the sky blankly.

Hanako brushed off her kimono before wagging her finger in Hiromi's face.

"Honestly! When I said I was going to train you personally, I didn't mean you could just sit around and not try!"

The petite genin struggled to her feet, her knees giving up from underneath her and collapsing on the ground once more, "I _am _trying! Oof!"

Maiko burst into a fit of laughter, pointing feverishly at her comic book, causing Hanako to sigh in a disappointed manner.

"And just because I'm training Hiromi doesn't mean you big, fat, lazy, sack of bones is allowed to just sit there and act like there's nothing in the world besides your stupid book."

The tomboy frowned, looking up from the lamely colored paper, "Huh? You say something?"

Hanako jump kicked her student in the jaw, collecting herself calmly within seconds, not acknowledging Maiko as she groaned, clenching her face.

"Kotone," She spoke softly, noticing that Kotone seemed to send a glance at the jounin, "you don't really need my assistance, do you?"

"No."

"Ah, that's reassuring. Since the new arrival of the Hokage, I've been busier than ever.. You girls have got it easy."

The woman plopped down on the ground in a strangely not-so-graceful manner, plucking her silk hair from its perch and brushing through it with her fingers. Hiromi and Maiko stared at her with confused expressions while Kotone muttered some nonsense under her breath.

"Honestly," the blue-eyed beauty continued, "I just need a little break from all this work! Tsunade is a real slave driver.. But I'm glad she worked on Guy's student. He'd be sobbing if his little kid couldn't be a ninja."

"You mean Rock Lee, ma'am?" Hiromi asked, soft-spoken, sitting down quietly and politely beside her sensei.

"Yeah, that punk. He looks a heck of a lot like Guy when he was a youngster. You know who I used to look like?"

Maiko scoffed, "Choji?"

She was punched roughly and Hanako continued as though it never happened.

"That Tenten girl! Isn't it strange? I rarely see her out and about. She must be all about training, huh."

"Tenten..?" Hiromi smiled softly at the ground, "Yes, she's on Neji's squad.."

Kotone stopped her gaping at the blue sky and turned to her blonde teammate, "Neji Hyuuga. His relative is Hinata."

"Yes! She and I are good friends. In fact, after I'm done here, I'm going to visit her place! Umm.. Would you like to come with me?"

"No."

"Oh, umm.. Okay."

Hanako sighed, massaging her own shoulders, "I don't have many female friends besides Kurenai, and so this is nice; just to chat for a little while."

Maiko smirked, "Eh? You don't really have that many friends at all, do ya, sensei?"

Expecting a punch, she flinched, but when no impact came she peeked at the dark-haired woman and noticed that she was looking solemnly at the ground.

"Yes, I suppose you are right."

Hiromi clapped, "Oh! Well, umm, Kakashi-sensei is your friend, right? Aren't the two of you dating?"

Hanako playfully braided her hair in a lazy manner, "No, not really. We're not really that close at all. When we were children we'd hang out a lot, but our bond was severed and now that we're adults we decided to try and become friends. But he and I both have scars that can't be healed.. We're practically dead to each other."

Maiko frowned, "Well.. That's just.. stupid."

"Yes, I suppose so. The person who was the one who stood between us a link is gone.. So .. We really aren't that close.. I wouldn't call him someone I hold dear, but he is still a friend of mine in a way."

Silence swallowed the group until Hanako chuckled in an awkward fashion.

"Listen to me; I must sound like an old fart! Let's get back to training, ne?"

Hiromi hid her pity and nodded, "Yes, please, sensei!"

And thus, the afternoon continued in that fashion.

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><p><strong>.<strong>

**.**

**.**

"Man! I'm beat!"

"But you didn't really do anything.."

"Well, it's tiring watching you work!"

"U-umm.. Sure.. Thanks.."

"I am going to go to the hospital."

"Oh c'mon, Hiromi-chan! Sometimes just watching other people work makes others tired!"

"I am going to go to the hospital."

"I- .. I guess.. Wait a second, what?"

Kotone stood a distance away from the retreating kunoichi, and her expression was unreadable, as always.

"Why're you headin' over there? The only person we know who is there is Sasuke."

"I am going to visit him."

"Ummm, okay! Have fun!"

Hiromi and Maiko watched the white blob of Kotone disappear down a familiar before the lanky one with the green hair rubbed her chin in deep thought.

"I think Kotone's got a little crush on Sasuke."

"Eh? Why do you think that?"

"They seem to know a lot about each other.. And she would never go to the hospital to visit one of us!"

"Well, you don't know that.. Maybe she's got an entirely different motive for visiting!"

"Whatever.. I'm heading home."

"Me too.. Good bye!"

"Right."

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><p><strong>.<strong>

**.**

**.**

At the sight of Sasuke asleep, Kotone almost drew her sword and dug its blade deep into his throat to end this foolishness, but stopped herself upon seeing Sakura Haruno there, her face solemn and her hands occupied with a bag of apples.

The girl turned at the sound of Kotone's shoes and smiled softly.

"Oh, um, hi, Kimiko-san."

"Greetings."

The two fell into a respectful silence as they both gazed at the sleeping figure. His expression seemed peaceful, but it was obvious he was troubled. His hand twitched as though he was disturbed by a nightmare and Kotone walked to the left of his bed, peering down at him.

He squeezed his blankets and twisted them in agony.

Kotone leaned down, her face hovering over his. Her hair served as a curtain as she stared deep into his eyelids, envisioning the dark, black eyes that slept underneath. She could hear Sakura drop her bag in shock of what looked like the foreign girl pressing her lips against the Uchiha's. She relaxed her forehead against his and gently breathed onto his face.

She could see herself in him, struggling with a pain she could not bear, but had to carry in order to survive. She saw him running; running towards a goal that lead to death.

His dark eyes seemingly flew open and he stared up at hers with what could only be described as confusion and anger.

Kotone lifted herself away from him, and decided that she had spent enough time here, before promptly walking to the door and almost escaping had it not been for Sakura grasping her kimono with a strange expression.

"Kimiko-san!"

. . .

"You.. like Sasuke?"

The girl with the white hair turned around and took note of the fact that said boy was listening in, his eyes closed in feigned rest.

"I do not dislike or like anything."

"B-but you just kissed him, didn't you?"

Sasuke seemed to jolt in his position and Kotone continued.

"There is a zero percent chance that such an action occurred between the two of us. I suggest you throw the thought away. I shall be leaving now, unless you, Sasuke, would like to add something."

When there was nothing but silence, the girl with the sword at her waist dispersed, leaving the room with little of her presence lingering.

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><p><strong>.<strong>

**.**

**.**

It was only the next day, early in the morning that it was reported to the Hokage that Sasuke had run away in the night. Sakura, who seemed to think Kotone knew the avenger better than anyone else besides Naruto, had informed Kotetsu and Izumo that they might want to ask the skilled kunoichi about the Uchiha's flee.

Unfortunately, Kotone knew nothing at all about the event, informing the two that she and Sasuke had barely even spoken during her years in the village, as she had 'woken' up early that morning to train with her sword.

They left her soon afterwards, and only minutes later, Naruto, Kiba, Akamaru, Choji and Shikamaru interrupted her training as well. The orange outfit of the Uzumaki burned bright in the early morning colors, but Kotone didn't seem to care.

"It's an important mission, and it's probably going to be rough, but we need to do this."

Kotone kept quiet, noting that the group seemed to be in a hurry. Naruto threw his arms out and yelled.

"You're one of the girls that Sasuke seemed to pay attention to! Sure, he wanted to beat you, but still! You _have_ to come! Come with us!"

Shikamaru nudged him, turning to leave, "You can't force her t-"

"Understood."

The group of boys stared in shock as Kotone sheathed her sword.

"You'll really come?" Kiba asked, his ninja hound barking as well.

He had heard a few things about her from Hiromi, like she was 'strong', 'cold', but 'didn't seem to make choices of her own free will'.

"Yes," was her deadpanned answer and the group of five was off, heading towards the gate.

"What about the others, Shikamaru?" Naruto asked hurriedly, as the squad ran, Kotone's geta seemingly awakening the entire world.

"I would like to find them, but we don't have that much time. We'll head out the gates, and if we don't find anyone else, this'll be it."

As the five ran, all the genin in the village seemed to be hiding from them, until Kiba yelled out a greeting and Shikamaru sent a glance to Hiromi, who seemed to have a big bag of groceries in her arms. She gaped at Kotone with a confused expression.

"What's going on..?"

The lazy chunin of the group sighed, "We don't have time for this; are you busy or not?"

The blonde frowned, "Well, umm, yes.. I'm heading home and then teaching at the academy.. Why..?"

"Sasuke Uchiha has run away from the village to join Orochimaru," Kotone summarized, "I suggest you stay here, for your skills will be of no use."

Hiromi flushed in embarrassment at the announcement of her weakness before nodding solemnly behind her paper bag of food and began walking home, waving farewell to the retreating group.

The race to the gates continued for a while until they stopped, at the sight of Neji and Rock Lee. Shikamaru and Naruto explained the mission with little detail.

"I see," Neji said, supporting his partner as they stood.

"It's troublesome," Shikamaru responded, "but it'll be easier if we have one more person on our team."

Rock Lee looked downcast, hurt by the fact that at such a time he was not recovered, and the Hyuuga took note of his teammate's disappointment.

"Lee, you should do what you need to."

The black-haired genin nodded solemnly, before turning out of Neji's grip and using his crutch to hobble to the stairs he had once climbed a moment ago with his teammate's help. The others stood in shock.

He faced the obstacle with a hidden expression and spoke determinedly.

"Starting tomorrow.. I will climb these stairs by myself!"

Neji frowned, "Lee!"

The boy with the unique eyebrows turned his face and smiled, "I'll be fine. Please go."

Deciding an argument would be useless, the group of genin approached the gates, and they swung open obediently, with Lee following slowly behind.

"Time's up," Shikamaru said, his hands on his knees.

He eyed Kotone, who hadn't spoken very much since the beginning. He wondered in the back of his mind if it was a good idea to bring her along.

"So there's just six of us.."

Naruto leapt into the lead, a fist raised into the air.

"Yeah! Let's go! Follow me, everybody!"

.

.

.

The lazy leader sighed, "Naruto, you know I'm still the leader of this mission, no matter how troublesome it may be."

The blonde frowned in a childish manner, "Are you sure everything will be okay with _you _as a leader? Doesn't look like you're all that reliable."

Kiba smirked, "What would be the point of _you_ being the boss, Naruto? Not that being ordered by a lazy bum sounds any better to me."

His dog barked in agreement.

"Yeah, well Shikamaru is a chunin now!" Choji piped in, "It's a sign that the village leaders trust him and accept him as one of them now. We have to follow his orders."

Kotone spoke up, "This arguing is getting no one anywhere. Nara-san, I suggest you make a plan."

Neji nodded in agreement, though his expression was doubtful.

"From what we've heard," he added, "there is a high probability that they are waiting for us."

Shikamaru stepped forward, "But for now, we're on the offense. Which means it will be easy for the enemy to make the first move. That's why, in order to protect against random attacks, I will decide the formation. If you don't listen and obey my orders, everyone will die."

Kotone stood stiffly, unfazed by the news. After scanning the group's expressions, the leader continued.

"The formation will be a line. The forerunner, who has the most important and crucial task will be Kiba. You travel with Akamaru a lot, so you know the geography and terrain of the Fire Country pretty well. Your nose will be helpful as well, for finding Sasuke's scent and being able to smell out booby traps. And if there's an attack in the front, you've got Akamaru, so even if you're isolated, you'll be okay."

Kiba nodded, patting Akamaru on the head gently, and the dog nuzzled back into his master's hand.

"Alright, and second, will be Kotone," Shikamaru eyed the pale girl to ensure she was paying attention, "Thanks to your experience with the wind style ninjutsu, you'll be a good long range and mid range fighter, and also will be able to sense the dangers ahead of Kiba, assisting in his duty as well."

The genin nodded.

"I'll be next in line, as third. Since I'll be able to see the situation I will be able to give orders to Kiba and Kotone in front, and also signals to those in the back. Then, as fourth, is Naruto. Being your explosive and energetic self, you're perfect for giving aid in all directions. So you'd be best vaguely in the center. You also know the shadow clone jutsu, so that'll come in handy as well."

The blonde smirked and nodded enthusiastically.

"Next will be Choji. You don't have speed, but due to your size, you've got a lot of physical power. Although it may be awkward, Kiba, Kotone, Naruto and I will use you as a base, as in home base."

The chubby individual stared into his teammate's eyes with a determined expression.

"And finally, in the rear, is you, Neji. You've got the most difficult and complicated task. By using your byakugan, you'll be able to scan and check the area."

Shikamaru knelt down, pulling a scroll out of his pocket.

"Here, let me show you."

He used a utensil to draw a cartoon-style diagram of what was to happen.

"Make sure you always stay in this order."

He placed his pencil atop of the Kiba drawing.

"Kiba as forward," then Kotone, "Kotone as future forward," then himself, "me as backup forward," then Naruto, "Naruto as left," then Choji, "Choji as right," and then Neji, "and Neji as the rear, using your byakugan to scan the area."

The chunin rolled the scroll up, somehow his lazy demeanor disappearing.

"Also, I want to see what equipment you all have. Show it all too me; I'll remember it. Any questions?"

Naruto shook his head, representing the group, and Kotone unpacked her matching white weapon holders, her fingers dancing lightly over the grip of her katana.

"And just one more thing, most likely the most important. I don't really care about Sasuke," he glanced at Kotone who seemed to gaze at him with agreement, "Nor is he someone that I like. But he's a shinobi of the leaf village, a comrade, and that is why we'll risk our lives to save him. That's the Konoha way. Even though I don't like doing such troublesome things, your lives are in my hands."

Kiba smirked, "_Now_ you're starting to act like a chunin!"

"Once I check your equipment, we'll be off," Neji said, "Everyone, take our your accouterments."

Kotone held hers in front of her obediently, and opened up the small pouch. Neji and Shikamaru questionably stared at her katana, but did not word their thoughts.

"Alright, let's go."

"Wait!"

The group stopped, and Naruto addressed the pink-haired girl who was standing nearby with a solemn expression.

"I heard the story from Lady Tsunade. I'm sorry, but you can't come with us" Shikamaru explained, "Even you weren't able to convince Sasuke, right? All that's left for us is to use force. Your chance is over, Sakura."

The young girl stared at ground.

"Ah! That means.. You and Sasuke?" Naruto began.

Sakura allowed her tears to fall in a way that was unprofessional and pathetic, at least, to Kotone. She shook with grief, knowing she was useless.

"Naruto," she said, her voice cracking, "I'm begging you.. Please bring.. Please bring Sasuke back! I .. I couldn't stop him.. The only person who could stop him now.. is.. Is you, Naruto.."

.

.

.

"You sure like him a lot.. And now.. you're in pain.. The same pain I'm in."

Sakura wrapped her arms around herself, crying out openly.

"Naruto.. Thank you!"

The blonde smiled widely back at her.

"I will definitely bring back Sasuke! That's the promise of a lifetime!"

"Eh? You sure you can promise something like that, Naruto?" Kiba asked.

Naruto responded with a grin, "I don't go back on my word! That's my ninja way! Alright, LET'S GO!"

Shikamaru turned and nodded, "You're right. We've lost quite a bit of time. Let's hurry."

Kotone began to walk away, but something gripped her and she turned.

"Haruno-san."

The pink-haired girl looked up curiously.

"If you happen to see any one of my teammates.. I suggest you explain to them the situation as well.."

Sakura nodded, but still, the pale girl did not leave.

"And I also suggest.. you tell them I said... farewell."

And as she walked away, somehow the Haruno girl felt as though that was the last time she would see the emotionless girl.

.

.

.

.

If only she knew she was entirely **correct**.

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><p>Maiko pouted, her arms crossed in a frustrated manner.<p>

"I don't see why _we_ weren't told about this! I want to go save somebody! I want to go kick some Sound ninja (curse.)!"

Hanako-sensei swiftly punched her in the shoulder, "You ungrateful brat! Your skills are far too amateur to be of any use to anyone! Honestly, I'm glad they took Kotone instead of _you_!"

"Exactly, so, umm, please don't be upset, Maiko-chan," Hiromi nodded.

Her sensei jabbed her in the chest, "And _you_! Your training has gotten almost absolutely nowhere! Your healing ninjutsu isn't even worthy of Lady Tsunade and all you do is ogle that Hyuga boy!"

The blonde girl collapsed in a heat of embarrassment. Maiko recovered from her sensei's punch and yelled.

"You old hag! We've both been training our butts off! Especially Hiro-... mi.." Her voice calmed down considerably as she felt as though the wind had caressed her face gently, like a mother's hand.

Hanako frowned curiously, while Hiromi stared with a confused expression.

"What's wrong, Maiko-chan?"

The green-haired tomboy collapsed onto her butt, her eyes filled with surprise.

"I-.. Did you not feel that?"

"What are you talking about..?"

"Oh.. Umm.. Nothing.."

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><p>Her hair was wavy, but due to the dirt in it, its original color was unknown. She had her hands over her eyes in a strange pose, and blood poured steadily from there. She was yelling at the top of her lungs.<p>

Her partner, whose hair was straight and burnt in some places, had the opposite problem. His hands were wrapped in a desperate manner around his own throat, with the same crimson liquid flowing. His light blue eyes were wide open with shock.

"HELP US! SOMEONE! PLEASE!"

The people of Konoha crowded around the two, some attempting to assist, but others disgusted and shocked by their wounds. Sakura and Rock Lee stood amidst the gathering, and their expressions were that of the rest.

"What on earth has happened?" Lee asked.

Sakura closed her gaping mouth and lunged forward, diving through the fearful villagers until she was spat out near the wounded pair.

"I'm a medical ninja in training! Please follow me!" She said firmly.

The girl turned in the wrong direction and cried out.

"Please! Hurry!"

The young man with her turned her in the right direction, but kept another hand firmly on his throat.

Sakura carefully took the girl's arm and wrapped it around her shoulders, but stared in a thoughtful manner at the foreigner's partner.

"Someone! Grab him and help me!"

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><p>The pink-haired ninja and Lee both protested torridly with Tsunade the minute she discovered the two injured travelers.<p>

"They're in desperate need of medical attention!" Sakura proclaimed.

"What if they turn out to be enemy spies?!"

Rock Lee frowned, "I apologize, Hokage-sama, but I highly doubt they are our enemies! They have begged for attention, but not for themselves, but for each other!"

"That's right," Sakura added, "They just want to heal one another!"

Tsunade glanced into the hospital room where the young man was resting. He was drenched in a combination of blood and dirt, and he still yelled out for his sister, despite his throat being slashed.

"I'll take full responsibility over them! I'll heal them if you won't!" Sakura protested.

The blonde leader sighed and stepped into the room, gaining the patient's attention.

His voice broke and cracked as he whispered, "My sister.. Save my sister.. A.."

Sakura and Rock Lee stared in gratefulness as Tsunade looked over his wounds, ignoring his words.

"You've suffered some heavy attacks. One of your legs is broken, and your vocal cords.."

The boy leant back and closed his eyes, silenced.

"Not only did they suffer damage, but your voice box was damaged as well, and it seems either way, you've got vocal cord paresis. I don't suggest you talk."

Despite the warning, he mumbled wearily on, "I understand that you cannot heal me.. Do not lay a finger on me, medical ninja.. I do not wish to.. burden you."

Sakura interfered, stepping into the hospital room, followed by Lee, "No way! We'll definitely fix this! Right, Tsunade-sama?"

The woman turned from the young man's bed with a frown. It was completely against the rules to allow an outsider to receive treatment. He apparently wasn't from around here, and he didn't have any family from these parts either.

"But.. would you please.. save the wo- Ack!"

His voice failed him at the last second, and he clasped the weak bandage on his throat, blood revealing itself once more. Tsunade turned back towards him and sighed.

"I won't fully heal him."

Shizune, who had followed the others in as well, shrieked.

"Tsunade-sama! You can't!"

"I won't!" the woman barked back, "I'm just going to close the wound up."

Sakura backed up, taking Rock Lee with her as well. She had a feeling that it wasn't wise to test the Hokage's patience at the moment.

Tsunade emitted some green chakra on the boy's chest and throat, drowning out his painful groan. When she knew the major wounds were closed, she stopped, and leaned away from him.

"I'll have Sakura help you clean yourself up," she said seriously, turning to Shizune, "Now, tell me where the girl is."

The middle-aged assistant flinched before answering.

"J-just the room next door, milady!"

The two hurried out, leaving Rock Lee and Sakura to stare at the grimy young man, who ran a finger solemnly over the horizontal scar on his throat.

"I-.. I'm sorry that we couldn't do more for you."

Rock Lee nodded, his passionate expression making Sakura smile softly, "Yes! It's quite shameful that we can't completely heal you, but I am very glad to assist in any way!"

The boy shook his head and looked down at his filthy features.

"Don't worry," Sakura said in a comforting manner, "We'll show you to the showers."

He nodded, stumbling out the hospital bed and followed Rock Lee and Sakura with a noticeable limp.

Shizune solemnly watched as Tsunade inspected her paperwork with an uninterested expression. The foreign girl's case was frustrating. Her eyes had been gouged out in probably the most violent way possible, so even if the Hokage _could_ have healed her completely, there wasn't much else to do. She had closed her eye sockets to prevent any infection and sent the child off to be cleaned, but it was pathetic how the two children would be at such disadvantages from now on.

But where had they come from? Their chakra networks were so much more.. complex than the ones Tsunade had seen so far.. So why? Why did they come here..?

* * *

><p>Sakura scrubbed silently the back of the sullied girl, whose hair was just as dirtied. The boy had finished cleansing himself a while before, but had insisted on waiting for his sister.<p>

The pink-haired genin twisted the sponge she was using and the blackish mud from it poured onto the ground. She looked down at the patient and gasped.

"You.. You're so tan!"

The dark-skinned girl let out a symphony of laughter before smiling, her teeth contrasting with her sandy skin.

"Ahh, thank you. That's very kind of you. I suppose you did not notice at first because of my condition.."

"Where are you from? It's impossible to get a tan here in Konoha; there are way too many shadows everywhere!"

The tanned foreigner lowered her head, "Well.. I am from the desert."

. . . .

"Like.. the Sand Village?"

. . . .

"I hate to avoid your question, but could you hurry? I apologize, but I wish to see my brother."

"O-oh.. Of course. Sorry."

The girl's body was washed in a hurry, and Sakura was scrubbing her dark hair down until she gasped once more.

"Your hair! It's.. so white!"

The dark-skinned girl nodded, "Yes. My family has always had white hair.. I don't mind it at all."

"Oh, but it's beautiful!"

"Thank you very much."

* * *

><p>Sakura gaped in admiration as the siblings embraced after their showers. The mute was extremely handsome, with sharp, light blue eyes, and a tanned, tall, thin body, with concealed muscles. His hair was just a tad bit shorter than his sister's, but was just as white. His side bangs pronounced his sharp lashes, and Rock Lee seemed to frown at Sakura's fawning over the foreigner.<p>

His sister was no different; her wavy hair was voluminous and shined delicately, while her eyes stayed closed and her eyelashes danced across her tanned face. Jealousy was apparent when Sakura brushed her mane for her.

"So," Lee said smiling, "what exactly are your names?"

The pink-haired genin had nearly forgotten! They had not even uttered a single word about their names!

The two foreigners stayed silent for a moment, until the boy squeezed his sister's hand and she spoke in a soft voice that could calm a sea.

"Well, our names.. are Aiko and Akio."

* * *

><p><strong>AN:**

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**Please look forward to Chapter 25/26!**


	26. Chapter 25

**A/N: Good evening, everyone! :D I just got a new computer, so I probably will be updating sooner because idk. The story is slowly coming to close and I want to get a headstart on the sequel! ;O**

**But the sad thing is that the interent completely sucks -_- it's really annoying. In fact, it's only for my account, too! You see, idk why but the Google Chrome won't work for me, so I have to stick to.. **

**INTERNET EXPLORER. **

**:[ it's awful.**

**Anyways, the story is about to begin, so please do enjoy!**

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><p><strong>.<strong>

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**.**

Blood splattered onto the ground in a fashion that could only be described as elegant.

"The color red goes well with white.. Don't you agree? He-he.."

Words were replaced with more crimson, and the woman in front of the victim chuckled in a sadistic manner.

"Where did all that fight go? Ha-ha-ha-ha! What happened?"

The weapon of the woman was once more stabbed into the sufferer and the ground seemed to be tattooed red.

"What is it? I have _won_."

The wounded looked up and the woman smirked.

"You still won't react..? You have yet to even scream! I can change that.. I _can kill you_!"

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Choji had been left behind, after an encounter with the enemy. There were five; the team of six had an advantage. A small one, but an advantage. The team was in pursuit, directly after leaving a message for their comrade. Kotone was the only one who worded the possibility of Choji's death, but it did not affect the others.

Something deep inside of her was churning, like her innards were in a washing machine, spinning methodically.

"Kotone, watch where you're stepping!"

The girl leapt up hurriedly, avoiding a broken branch, and turned back to look at Shikamaru. His expression was anxious, but not for her. He was worried about his best friend.

"Understood."

The feeling in her stomach did not cease.

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"Honestly! That Jirobo!" Tayuya snarled, "That fatty should be carrying the kid, not Kidomaru! It was his duty in the first place!"

"You know he likes to take his time to eat" Sakon added, licking his green lips at the mention of it.

Kidomaru did the same, rearranging his grip on the coffin.

"You all are so funny! Ha-ha! You know each other so well, but you all dislike each other! Ha-ha! I'm glad I'm on an assignment with you all! I've learned so much!"

The laughing figure was tall and muscular, with a boyish visage. Her name was Sumiko. Her long black hair was tied back into two pigtails, and her glasses were a hip red.

Tayua growled, "Shut up! You're only here as the fifth until Sasuke is awakened!"

"Oh, ha-ha! I suppose you're right! I may have a seal, but I will never live up to Sasuke-sama!" Sumiko laughed.

Her clothes, similar but not quite the same compared to the Sound Four's, revealed a squiggly-looking decoration on her throat, and she touched it delicately with her pointer finger.

"You're perfectly right. Now all of you hurry up! They're gaining on us!"

"Well, umm, you see, I have an idea!"

The other three shinobi turned and stared intently at Sumiko.

"And?" Kidomaru pried.

"I think it just might work on stalling them! Ha-ha!"

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"Uh-oh," Neji frowned, "I have a bad feeling."

Shikamaru gritted his teeth, "What is it?"

"One of them has stopped. I believe they're waiting for us to catch up."

The group of the remaining five stopped, their leader in a thinking position.

"Can't we just go around 'em?" Naruto suggested.

Kiba sighed, "No, we can't. If we got around him, he'll follow us from behind!"

The blonde pouted, sulking with his back turned to the group.

Shikamaru pondered, "Maybe we should just let some shadow clones of Naruto's meet up with the enemy while we avoid the battle.. I don't like that we're losing time and that it's a dangerous strategy, but that's all I can think up on a whim."

"Oh, ha-ha! I don't think you'll even have that much time."

The voice appeared from nowhere and the leader of the genin yelled out a commandment to scatter, while a woman clad in Sound apparel became visible, her red eyes gleaming with bloodlust. In her hands were two swords, so sharp it seemed to cut Kotone by just looking at it. On each handle was a childish charm.

She grinned maliciously, "Don't run way! Ah-ha-ha! You come to save your friend but you're going to run away from _me_?"

Kotone stood up from her hiding place and Naruto yelled.

"NO!"

Sumiko laughed hysterically, "Ah-ha-ha-ha-ha! You're all white! You sure are cute! How old are you? Ten?"

Kotone put her hands out in front of her: a battle formation.

"I suggest Shikamaru and the others go on ahead. I will engage the enemy and distract her for as long as my skills allow."

"No, no! Don't leave me! The party is just getting started! Ha-ha-ha!"

"Be sure and catch up with us!" Naruto yelled, and four figures leapt out of view, with Sumiko sighing in disappointment.

She twirled around her weapons with a pouty expression, "Aww man! Just when I thought I could help out the gang! Ha-ha-ha!"

Kotone performed a multitude of hand signs and delicately spun about.

"Kaze no ha."

The gale was sent flying towards Sumiko, who dove out the way, sticking out her tongue childishly.

"Ha-ha! You'll have to do more than that to hit me!"

Kotone lunged at her again, sending blades of air soaring into trees, sending them to the ground, while her expression stayed the same, causing Sumiko to snort.

"C'mon! Smile for me! Ha-ha-ha-ha! What is your name?"

The genin performed some hand signs before lifted her hands upwards. Sumiko pushed her stylish glasses back to the bridge of her nose, staring with curiosity.

"Kaze no ken."

The weapon-shaped gale slashed at the Sound nin, but she danced out of its path, with a playful grin on her face.

"Tell me your name!"

"Kotone Kimiko."

Sumiko put a finger to her chin, avoiding the incoming kunai with ease, "Hmm? That name sounds so familiar! Ah-ha-ha-ha! Do I know you from somewhere?"

"No."

"Ah-ha-ha! I guess I got you mixed up with someone else, then! Ha-ha! Sorry!"

Kotone did a backbend, narrowly escaping the thrust of Sumiko's sword. She then drew her katana, holding it in front of her, with her white eyes scanning her enemy's movements.

"Ah-ha! Are you finally getting serious with me?"

When there was no response, the two nin jumped into a dance of steel.

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Shizune stared sadly as Aiko explained to Tsunade that they were travelers from the Sand Village. The two young adolescents had been attempting to reach Konoha in order to start over since their parents had died in a tragic sandstorm, but had been ambushed by bandits. The filthy beasts had wished to take Aiko for their sinful desires, slashing Akio's throat so that there would be no witnesses, but the boy had not died, and fought through them to save his sister.

The assistant closed her eyes solemnly. There were some awful people in the world.

Her pondering was interrupted when the door was suddenly opened and Hanako entered, her expression sincere. Shizune flinched at the interruption and ran to meet her, closing the door behind her.

"I'm sorry to kick you out like that, but there was an important meeting with some foreigners going on," the assistant explained.

The jounin shook her head, "It's fine; I came to speak with you anyways."

"Have you told anyone else yet?" The brunette asked softly.

Hanako walked away, leaning on the wall and looking down through the square window. Shizune peeked over her shoulder and took note of some young kids running around.

"No."

"You.. you should tell him. Or at least Kurenai, or Asuma. You can't keep it bottled up like this."

Hanako draped a hand over her stomach with an unknown expression, "I .. I understand."

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Kotone ducked and narrowly dodged the incoming swipe of Sumiko's sword. Said Sound nin adjusted her red glasses before smiling widely.

"This has gone on for a while, has it not? Hee-hee.."

The pale Leaf ninja leapt out of the range of Sumiko's slice, and slashed at the woman with her katana, not landing an attack.

So far, both females had had their clothes cut, but that was as far as the damage went. Sumiko contemplated releasing her seal to the second stage.

"Hey, listen!" she announced, playfully dancing around an attack, "I'm going to go into the second stage, you see! Ha-ha! The fight will be over soon, okay? Ha-ha-ha!"

A wavy-looking tattoo spread across the woman's body and she laughed loudly. Her skin changed to a sickly grey, and her eyes exploded into a blinding yellow, while her forehead broke out in horns.

Sumiko chuckled, "Now.. let the games begin! Ha-ha-ha-ha!"

She disappeared in an instant and Kotone scanned the area hurriedly, sheathing her sword and performing hand signs.

Kotone did a dozen back flips, her jutsu taking place and swirling so violently that the trees bent unnaturally.

When the wind died down gradually, the pale girl reappeared to see if the technique had done any damage. Sumiko's laughter broke through the silence and the demon showed herself, her swords still glued to her hands.

"That was some jutsu! Ha-ha-ha! How old are you? Have you received special training or something? You must be a genius! Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!"

Kotone deadpanned, "I have not received special training."

"Oh? Sumiko tilted her head in curiosity, "Ha-ha-ha! I suppose you're just naturally gifted, huh?"

Once again, the girl did not respond. This time, the Sound nin, with an aggravated grunt, rearranged her red spectacles.

"You must think you're so much greater than me, huh? Hee-hee-hee! You've got another thing coming if you underestimate me! I'll slice you to bits and dye that white hair of yours a chic crimson! Aha-ha-ha!"

Sumiko launched herself, similar to a projectile, towards Kotone, cackling hysterically. Her twin swords danced in the personal space of the pale kunoichi and the Sound nin licked her lips, happily anticipating the bloodshed.

Her wish was granted, and Kotone did not wipe away the laceration on her cheek. Sumiko smiled, pressing her stylish glasses back up to the bridge of her nose.

The Leaf ninja leapt backwards, attempting to dodge any more incoming attacks, but Sumiko refused to decrease her amount of attacks. She charged after the girl, chuckling the entire time.

If one were to monitor this battle from afar, all their eyes would comprehend would be blurs of movement. The two equally accomplished females clashed with one another, their weapons once more colliding with the deafening sound of steel against steel.

Deciding that enough was enough, Kotone stabbed her sword into the ground, kicking Sumiko roughly in the stomach at the same time and then struggling to perform some hand signs.

"Kaze no ken."

A windstorm spun up, and at Kotone's command, it assailed the staggering enemy. Sumiko dove out of the way, thinking she had evaded the attack, but spat out a curse when her back was assaulted by the sharp gales of her opponent's jutsu.

She hissed, rubbing her back in an indignant manner. When she recovered, she stood and pointed angrily at Kotone, who was attempting to pull her sword from the ground.

"Hey! You! That wasn't fair! You're a cheater! I get a free hit now!"

Sumiko sprinted towards her enemy, her specs nearly falling from its station on her nose. She swung her twin swords at an unbelievable speed, and blood gushed from the x-shaped mark on Kotone's calf, though the attack would've been located on her chest, had she not have attempted to move at the last second. She looked back at where Sumiko was fuming immaturely, and took note of the fact that her sword was still lodged in the earth.

"You're a big, fat, ugly jerk!" The Sound nin cried, pushing up her glasses, narrowly saving them from slipping to the ground.

Kotone did not reply, which caused Sumiko to double over in laughter, griping her stomach as though someone had just shared with her a comical joke.

When she composed herself, she shook her head just to make her pigtails move.

"I suppose that was very juvenile of me! Ha-ha-ha-ha! But being more childlike is more fun than being an old coot! Like you!"

Kotone took this opportunity and struck, using her wind-style jutsu to collide with Sumiko, but the foolish woman dodged them easily. It was as though her gales were not swift enough.

She hid hurriedly behind a tree, buying herself time to think. The woman moved with such ease! But how? How could she move so much quicker than the wind itself?

The Leaf ninja ducked, the tree falling into two pieces, cut easily in half by Sumiko's swords. She would need the separate the Sound ninja from her weapons to get a good analysis of her true ability.

Rapidly, Kotone vaulted into Sumiko's line of vision, drawing a kunai and pitching it at the enemy.

The Sound nin cut it in half, a wide grin on her visage.

"You're definitely a fool to think that would work on me! Ha-ha-ha-ha!"

The insipid girl jumped behind a tree, stating calmly, "Hitting you with the kunai was not my goal."

Sumiko looked down to the fallen kunai and shrieked, taking note of the hissing sound of the paper bomb. She bounded off, but was still hit with the blast, yelping in pain, but just barely injured, a slither of blood dripping from her forehead. The hostile ninja chortled in a frustrated manner as the body fluid dripped steadily down.

"You little creature! Ha-ha-ha-ha! That was smooth of you to trick me like that, but I shan't fall for it again! Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!"

Kotone hurdled out of the range of Sumiko's attacks, buying herself more time to strategize.

When her mind had thought up a sufficient plan, she calculated the statistics of success.

"Seventy-three point two five six percent."

"What'd you say?" Sumiko gritted out, swiping at the child with her twin swords.

"That is the chance of my plan being a success."

"Well, give it a shot, I suppose! Ha-ha-ha-ha!"

Step one. Kotone rushed out from her hiding place, throwing more kunai, distracting her enemy. She dived towards her sword, yanking it out of the ground with no use of the hilt, causing her hand to bleed excessively.

Step two. The kunoichi spun her katana around so that she could receive a good grip on the weapon. Sumiko was advancing quickly, so she did a backbend, avoiding a lung of her twin swords.

Kotone rolled to lie in the shadow of a tree's broken trunk and steadied her breath before jumping up and performing a mass of hand signs.

"Kaze no ken."

Sumiko sidestepped the attack and smirked, twisting her swords in her grip.

"This battle is over! My technique will kill you this instant!"

Step three. Sumiko disappeared in a blur, and appeared in front of Kotone, who calmly faced her enemy. The kunoichi closed her eyes.

_And was stabbed with both swords through the chest._

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Hiromi leaned out her window, letting the soft wind caress her face, blowing her locks preciously. Oh, how wonderful it was to get to relax for once.

She rested her elbows on the window sill and smiled down at her neighbors, whose child had been born just a few weeks ago. It was nice how peaceful things were in that moment.

In a flash, a cut appeared on the blonde's cheek and she let out a squeak of alarm, shocked by how rough the wind had gotten for an instant.

The back of her mind produced an image of when she had encountered Kotone outside of the store, but Hiromi shook the thought away, believing that it had nothing to do with the situation.

She hesitantly prepared to shut her window, but peeked out of it and noticed Maiko, who had a deep expression on her face.

Hiromi sped down her stairs and met up with her teammate with an excited look.

"Good afternoon, Maiko-chan!"

The lanky tomboy nodded, her expression still remote.

"What's wrong?" Hiromi asked, clasping her hands behind her back, "you look upset."

"It's nothing," Maiko responded quickly.

A moment of silence was shared between the two of them before the green-haired girl edited her answer.

"Well, umm, you see, I just have a really bad stomach ache. That's all."

"Oh, you should visit Sakura! I'm sure she has something for that!"

"No, it's.." Maiko swallowed nervously, "I just.. It's not a stomach ache as in I ate too much… It's almost like.. I'm anticipating something horrible.."

Hiromi absorbed the thought of telling her teammate about the wind incident, but kept quiet, allowing the two girls to revel in an accepting silence.

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Blood splattered onto the ground in a fashion that could only be described as elegant.

"The color red goes well with white.. Don't you agree? He-he.."

Words were replaced with more crimson, and the woman in front of the victim chuckled in a sadistic manner.

"Where did all that fight go? Ha-ha-ha-ha! What happened?"

The weapon of the woman was once more stabbed into the sufferer and the ground seemed to be tattooed red.

"What is it? I have won."

The wounded looked up and the woman smirked.

"You still won't react..? You have yet to even scream! I can change that.. I can kill you!"

Kotone collapsed to the ground, still straight-faced. Her katana had slipped from her fingers. The twin swords had been yanked out then stabbed back in and the cycle repeated. There was blood everywhere. Sumiko cackled.

"Ah-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha! I won! Maybe now I'm even better than that ignorant Sasuke-sama!"

Sumiko left her weapons inside of Kotone's torso, basking in her victory by swinging her pigtails and readjusting her glasses to her taste.

"He-he-he-he-he-he-he! Surely Kabuto-san and Orochimaru-sama will allow me a higher position now! Ah-ha-ha!"

The Sound nin sung in delight, acting out some scenarios dramatically, some including situations where she married Kabuto, or Orochimaru.

She gloated in her success, and kicking Kotone's body until the girl's white hair was wallowing in blood and dirt.

That was when it happened. The sickly body of the Leaf ninja rose up with struggle as Sumiko pranced around with pride. The genin reached down and pick up her sword and using what was left of her chakra, sped to the Sound nin. Her katana went straight through her heart, and foreign blood decorated Kotone's poker-face.

"W-.. But how.." Sumiko uttered, body fluid dripping from her chest and her mouth, "I stabbed you in the heart.. I .. I .."

Kotone stumbled away, the swords still stuck inside of her chest, until her back was supported by a tree.

The Sound nin closed her eyes and allowed her red specs to fall to the ground, "I suppose.. this is a pretty funny way to die. Ha-ha-..ha.."

Her lips froze and she collapsed on the ground, face planting.

.

.

.

Kotone slid down the trunk of the tree, leaving a trail of grime. She gave a final look around, and suddenly her eyes regained their wariness. A familiar chakra.. Where did she know it from?

She gave up on trying to identify it, and in an instant she realized that she could no longer hear her master's voice.

The Leaf nin closed her eyes.

.

.

.

When she reopened them, her vision was weaker, but it was obvious who was in front of her.

In a way that was almost pathetic, a smile crept onto Kotone's face, a beautiful smile that did not seem peaceful, or restless, but somewhere in between, and she closed her eyes for the final time, her breath coming to a slow stop.

Her last sensation was the feeling of cold eyes on her and small grains parting her fallen hair to show her last expression to the observer.

_And then she was gone._

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><p><strong>END.<strong>

**A/N: **

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**Please look forward to the next chapter of The Puppet and the Puppeteer!**

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><p><strong>Thanks to...<strong>

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><p>{Reviewers}<p>

[MaoIsSleepy] - Here is your lightning fast update. I apologize, but yes, Kotone is dead. VnV let us mourn for her in silence. (Thanks for reviewing!)

[Eternal Cat Moon] - Ah, yes. :) Somethings did happen! And there are a few somethings in this chapter, as well! Thank you very much for your review - I hope you enjoyed this chapter!

[Omigesh] - Hahaha! I'm sorry I took so long DX I was just so busy! But hopefully this update did not take that long. Please do enjoy :)

[Animefangirl95] - Ahh, yes, they have arrived :) I tried to make him as handsome looking as possible XD I'm glad you think he is!

hehehe c: I suppose that was very rude of them two to fight like that..

Ahh, I hope that wasn't too OOC :o

OH GOSH I'M NOT THE ONLY ONE. I never liked that scene! It's exactly as you said! Especially when the translation is "Bring Sasuke back TO ME". He's not going back to YOU he's going back to KONOHA. Ughh.

She was ordered to by Naruto c:

Tenten is already really pretty :DDD

Thank you for the review!

[Tough chick] - Ah, thank you! Please enjoy this chapter as well!

[bored411] - It's perfectly fine c: I don't mind when you review as long as you enjoy yourself~ I wonder how they are related hmmmm c; Ahh, thank you! Here is the newest update~! Please read at your leisure!

[suzie1107] - Oh I wonder c; Well yeah they are the twins mentioned in earlier chapters XD They aren't related to Kotone c: Oh, well, umm, if you count dying as leaving, then you're correct :v Thank you for your kindness!

[xXChirushiXx] - (Chapter 22/21) - I got out of it as well for a while c: I don't remember what on earth happened in that chapter, but okay :D Thank you for the review!

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><p><span>Followers\

{RedSombrero} - Thank you very much for your kindness! n.n

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><p><strong>AN: If I forgot you, I am terribly sorry! My computer is really laggy and all so I apologize! Please enjoy this chapter and not get angry with me when I take 890 years to update!**


	27. Chapter 26

**A/N: Well, I hope this chapter makes more sense to you guys than it does with me XD I just now finished it, so I apologize for all the mistakes! Anyways, this is not the final chapter, but the final chapter is definitely the next one. I hope you all enjoy! P.S. - Thanks to.. are at the end so I don't spoil anything~!**

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><p><strong>Disclaimer - I do not own Naruto!<strong>

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Hiromi twisted her tresses into a long plait with a distant expression. Her cerulean eyes were glazed over in deep thought as she stared into her mirror, her contemplations far from her own reflection.

When her fingers had no more locks to entwine, Hiromi blinked out of her daze. She looked intently into her own pupils.

The blonde was concerned. Bothered. Anxious. Apprehensive. Nervous. Troubled. However one put it, it suited the situation.

Neji, Kotone, Naruto, Shikamaru, and Choji were all in danger. And what was she doing? Giving herself a side braid and ogling her image.

Hiromi wiped away some stray tears before charging out of her room with a weary expression.

"Eh, sweetheart? You're up awfully early." Mrs. Sato commented, sipping her coffee tranquilly.

Her daughter hid a frown with a strained smile, "I have a lot of things to do today, yeah?"

"Hold it," Mrs. Sato stated firmly, stopping Hiromi from exiting the household, "it's your day off, little one. What's the problem?"

Her expression softened considerably and she spoke again in a serene voice.

"You can tell me."

Hiromi collapsed into her mother's arms, sobbing, "Mom! What will I do if they get hurt? What will I do if they die? It's my entire fault; I'm being so useless!"

Mrs. Sato soothed her daughter, rubbing her back softly and cooing kind words with composure. It was hard for someone like Hiromi to watch her friends go out into the battlefield. The life of the shinobi was one of restless worry and agitated sleep.

When the fair-haired girl had calmed down considerably, her mom made her some tea and the two sat side-by-side, sipping in comfortable silence.

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Dai was cooking breakfast again, when Maiko lumbered down the stairs to eat. There were dark circles underneath her Dragon Eyes and she looked very pale. When Daisuke turned to greet her, he cringed.

"What's wrong, Mai? Did you not sleep well?"

The girl with the mint green hair frowned, "No, not really. I didn't sleep at all, in fact."

Daisuke let a sad smile slip on his face, "And why is that?"

"Well, I don't know," Maiko said sarcastically, falling into a chair at the table, "maybe because my friends are out risking their lives? Or maybe it's because I'm bored? Oh, yeah, definitely the second one."

Daisuke puckered his lips at her rudeness and crossed his arms. He was just trying to be nice! There was no need to be mean!

"Hey, grouchy! You need to cheer up!" He announced.

Maiko sent him a sullen look before turning back towards the table and place her chin on its smooth surface.

"What's for breakfast?" She asked sulkily.

Dai pouted no longer and placed three fluffy warm pancakes on his family's plate, "Your favorite! I figured you would be feeling a little melancholy today."

The girl with the mint green hair half-heartedly sliced the hotcakes with her forks, shoving a small triangular bite into her mouth. After a couple seconds of chewing, she swallowed then tossed her head back.

"I don't wanna eat pancakes at a time like this!"

"Well you should!" Dai responded, his feelings miffed, "You'll never be able to help your friends on an empty stomach!"

He stared at his cousin's head in silence before Maiko guffawed blissfully.

She turned her head back down and smiled widely at him, "I guess you're right. I better eat up! You, too, big bro!"

"Big bro?" Daisuke asked, dramatically gasping and grabbing his chest, "Oh, Mai! Look at how we've bonded over this experience."

Maiko punched him roughly as he took a seat across from her, but the two chuckled anyways.

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The medical ninja landed firmly on the ground, examining carefully the surrounding area. The trees seemed damaged, so there had been a fight. He cautiously searched for a friendly shinobi, and his face scrunched up when his eyes fell upon a beastly Sound ninja who had been killed, obviously.

The man turned her over on her stomach, inspecting the stab wounds until he came to a conclusion and looked around once more.

"Ah! I found another one!" He announced.

Hurriedly, he rushed to the white, slumped figure of Kimiko Kotone. The smell of blood was heavy, so his speed suddenly decreased as he approached the body.

The medical nin turned up the girl's chin and when his eyes met the empty spheres, he lowered his chin in grief.

Another medical ninja appeared.

"Hurry!" she said, unable to identify the death of Kotone, "Let's get this one to a hospital! ASAP!"

Her friend met her eyes and shook his head. The woman was new, so she stumbled and gloom swallowed her expression.

She sauntered to the dead child and closed her eyes in woe.

"She was so young."

"We should get a body bag.. Hurry. Let's get her back to the village for a proper funeral."

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Hiromi dropped her bag of books the moment the news reached her ears. They were back. Her friends were back! She pumped her pale, thin legs to reach the hospital sooner, adrenaline pushing her the extra mile.

The girl busted into the hospital, receiving a multitude of shushes, and slid to the administrator desk.

"Whe-Where are the ninja?!" She panted.

The medical ninja at the desk raised a delicately plucked brow, "Who?"

"Kotone Kimiko! Neji Hyuuga! Kiba Inuzuka! Whe-Where are they-they?"

The woman took her time searching her list thoroughly.

"Well," she said finally, "Neji Hyuuga is undergoing special treatment at the moment on Level A and won't be receiving any visitors at the moment. Kotone Kimiko isn't listed here, and Kiba Inuzuka is in Room 14 on Level C."

Hiromi was gone before the woman finished, sprinting at almost an impossible speed. As the rushed to Level A, she passed some medical ninja carrying a body bag. In the back of her mind, Hiromi guessed they were moving it elsewhere and stopped them.

"Is Neji Hyuuga here? On this level?" She had a feeling the woman at the desk was lying.

The female seemed solemn as she shook her head, "This is Level C; Level A is downstairs."

Deciding that she might as well check up on Kiba, Hiromi thanked the pair hurriedly and scuttled to Room 14, sliding the door open in a flash and almost bursting into tears at the sight of Kiba and Akamaru hooked up to some sort of medical machines.

"Hiromi! Why are you here?" The boy asked.

The blonde refused to blubber in her incoming waterworks, and collapsed by Kiba's bedside, onto her knees.

"I'm so relieved that you're safe!" She wept.

"Hey," the brunette groaned, "stop crying! We're all okay!"

The words were lies, but Kiba didn't know yet of Kotone's casualty.

"I'm just so thankful!" Hiromi sniveled.

Akamaru yapped at the girl, as though to tell her not to cry.

The blonde nearly scooped the pup in her arms, but refrained herself, wiping her tears away, "I'm sorry, Kiba, Akamaru.. I'm just so happy that you're all okay."

Suddenly realizing that she had yet to visit Neji, she got up in a flash and rushed to the door, but was suddenly stopped.

"Hey, wait a second!" Kiba bayed, "I need you to fix my jacket!"

Hiromi stopped her haste and crossed her arms with a small smile.

"You mean _my_ jacket?"

The boy with the dog smirked, "Yeah! Some freak put a ton of holes in it so I need you to fix it!"

The blonde girl fell back upon the chair near Kiba's bedside, and scooped up the morsels of the grey coat, sighing at its condition.

"I'll go get some needles and thread. I'll also be visiting everyone else because you're not the only one in the hospital!" Hiromi said childishly.

She took the scrap of clothing with her, and Kiba rested as she was gone.

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Maiko arrived near Choji's operation room in a huff, with her hair in all directions and her breath heavy. Temari stared at her with disgust from her high and mighty position and Shikamaru turned to her with an unknown emotion expressed on his features.

"Where's Choji?" She asked hastily .

Her lazy friend motioned towards the double doors near Temari. Maiko turned to the entrance, but ignored it, twisting back around to gaze at Shikamaru. She sent a vague nod to Shikaku-san.

"How did it happen?"

He avoided the question, seemingly looking at the ground, "I'm glad you didn't decide to come with us. That would've made the situation quite troublesome."

"I asked what happened!" Maiko growled.

Temari raised a brow with interest. This chic with the green hair seemed a bit high strung. It was just a chubby punk.

"He took the three pills, and they're working on him in there." Shikamaru gestured back towards the operation room.

Maiko leaned against the wall, soaking in the information. She slid down it to sit restfully on the ground, her outlandish eyes bursting with anxiety.

She crossed her arms atop of her knees and hid her face in the darkness, frightened for Choji's life.

In a sudden event, one of the operation room doors swung open and out came Tsunade-sama, her expression content.

"He's going to be alright!" She announced.

Maiko took note of how her friend began to tremble and realized that she her was shaking in relief.

"The continuous cellular destructive effects of the pills by an antidote," Tsunade explained, taking a seat across from Temari, "Thanks for your help, Shikaku. The special medical book of the Nara clan proved extremely useful! That must've taken years to put together."

The Nara man nodded, "Thank you."

"Tsunade-sama!" A voice yelled, a woman soon arriving and identifying herself as Shizune.

The Hokage looked up, acknowledging the brunette.

"Hyuuga Neji.." She began, "He's in a stable condition! I also have other information. Just now, Hatake Kakashi and Naruto arrived, and although he was injured, he's going to be fine."

Maiko took note of the lack of Sasuke, but also realized the solemn expression on the two higher-up's faces. They weren't telling her something.

"Just two of them, huh?" Tsunade mumbled to herself.

She turned, facing the boy who looked so much older in his chunin vest, "Shikamaru. You mission was a failure… But.. Everyone … mostly everyone is safe.. And.. That's what's most important."

Maiko caught the 'mostly' and looked at the Hokage with an apprehensive look, "M-.. Mostly?"

Tsunade avoided her gaze.

"There.. was .. a single casualty."

Maiko looked from Shikamaru, whose face was poured waterworks, and the Hokage, whose speech was stilted.

"Who was it, Hokage? Who was it?!"

".. Kotone Kimiko was the one who lost her life."

**.**

**.**

**.**

**.**

Everything suddenly was sluggish and colors ran together. Maiko nearly slapped herself so that she could wake up from this nightmare and laugh at Kotone as she calculated the percent of vanilla ice cream in chocolate ice cream, or how many sprinkles were in the world or something.

_This has to be some twisted dream_, Maiko thought in a panic.

Apparently she had spoken it aloud, because Tsunade responded.

"I'm sorry, Maiko."

The green-haired girl looked up at Shika, who was sobbing. He must've believed it was his own fault. Maiko stood up and embraced him, their tears mingling. And no words were exchanged between the two as they wept.

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**.**

Hiromi took a deep breath of her flowers. She had bought them in a flurry to give to Neji, but was a bit panicky about approaching him, even if he wasn't awake.

"Hey, Sato-san."

The blonde girl barely recognized the voice, but turned and smiled at her sensei, who had a distant expression.

"Oh, good afternoon, sensei! How are you?"

Hanako stared at her uneasily, "Um, I have something I need to tell you. Okay?"

"Umm, okay," Hiromi nodded, following the tall woman to a less populated section of the street, "what's up?"

The dark haired woman seemed to hesitant, plucking grass from the ground and staring at the sky in a distracted manner. Just before the blonde girl was about to inquire her sensei's question, the jounin blurted the news out.

"Kotone is dead."

Hiromi blinked. _What on earth is she talking about? Kotone is invincible!_ Hanako reached out and pulled her student closer, holding the fair-haired child in her arms.

"It's hard, isn't it," She murmured softly, stroking Hiromi's back like a mother.

Everything registered in the little girl's mind in a single instant she cried out, wailing in grief over the loss of her friend.

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**.**

The body was unbelievable. There was a small smile on Kotone's face, and she almost looked content. There was no family of hers anywhere, so it was decided by the Hokage that there would be no gravestone, or any type of formal funeral. Maiko and Hiromi complained against the decision, but it had been made.

Kotone's body lay on Level A of the hospital, with a cover over her features. But that night, there would be two visitors, and everything would change.

Gaara decided to look at her. To see if she was actually dead. In her last moments, she had looked to him and smiled in a pathetic way, and said something he couldn't comprehend. He was too late to help her.

So here he was, his arms crossed and his expression blank as Kotone's motionless body lay and her remaining smile beamed. There were flowers lying alongside her corpse because her teammates liked her, even though she probably didn't like them.

The redheaded genin circled around her body like a shark, almost as though he was checking to see if she would randomly rise with a big grin and yell, "Boo!"

When no such event happened, Gaara leaned over her face, studying it carefully, trying to imprint the image of her smiling face in her head.

And then he left, leaving a small sand ornament lying on her forehead.

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**.**

It was midnight. Akio had snuck into Aiko's room, and the two rested side-by-side. Aiko spoke to her brother in quiet whispers and he responded in a secret language the two had created when they were slaves. They were there for each other.

"Do you think we'll ever find Amaterasu-hime?" Aiko asked quietly.

Akio pet her face before writing with his thumb on her palm, _surely we will find her one day_.

"Do you really," The white-haired female murmured, "think she'll remember us?"

Akio looked away, saying in an unspoken language, _I_ _don't_ _know_.

Suddenly, the two jumped up as though a ghost had just danced through the room.

"Did you feel that?" Aiko asked hurriedly.

Her brother nodded (then realized his sister was blind) and he nervously wrote on his sister's back, _that's_ _his_ _chakra_. _I know it well._

Aiko gulped, "Then let us follow him. Wherever he is, Amaterasu-hime is surely there as well."

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**.**

His top hat was indigo because it was her favorite color. His strawberry blonde hair was spiky, yet his long ponytail was cut perfectly straight. He didn't look much like his brother Akuma, who adorned white hair and pale blue skin. His bright red eyes were the only thing he shared in common with his brother.

The man flipped the light switch on with a smile.

"Ah, look at you!" He sighed, pulling his purple down somewhat, revealing his white gloves, "You've become so disobedient."

He looked down at the forehead and brushed the gift off, pushing the flowers away as well. He leaned down and kissed the motionless lips.

"You don't need any of these, am I right? You have me. And I have you."

The indigo fellow wrapped it with the cloth already atop of it.

"I wouldn't want anyone else to see your womanly features! Tsk, tsk!" He explained to thin air.

He lifted it into his arms, bridal style, stealing one more kiss before turning to the door he once came in, and performing a seal.

"Shūryō suru! [Means 'exit']"

The space beside the door faded away, revealing a dark, damp tunnel. Before charging into the path, he looked down at it and smiled.

"You need me, and only me. Right, my love?"

Eyes shot open. Eyes the color of nothing.

"Yes, Master."

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**.**

Akio and Aiko looked at the door nervously (Aiko couldn't, but you know).

"What do we do?" The female asked nervously, bobbing nervously.

Akio stepped forward, examining the door. It wasn't locked. Was he really that cocky? Or perhaps he wanted them to catch him? Akio turned and made a scratching noise on the door. Aiko nodded.

The two leapt onto either side of the door before gently peeling it open and Aiko nervously awaited her brother's response.

_It's empty_, he tapped on her shoulder twenty-three times.

Aiko groaned, "We need to find his trail! And quickly! He might get away and we'll lose this chance! After all these years of searching.."

_Don't cry, Aiko_, Akio drew a heart on his sister's hand, _we can do this together_.

"You're right," the girl sighed, "I'll use my ninjutsu to search."

Akio stopped her, gripping her shoulder and making gentle marks with his nail, _the other people in the hospital may recognize the exertion of chakra. Be careful. _

"I guess you're right, but it doesn't matter. I'd rather have hostile Leaf ninja than not having Amaterasu-hime by our side."

Akio agreed silently and kept searching the room calmly as his sister performed a hand sign resembling two diamonds*, placing it on the ground and humming with concentration.

Her brother stood nearby, his cerulean eyes intently staring at the ground where Aiko's hands were.

Abruptly, the girl stood, pointing at the area to the right of the door.

"There! That's the way!"

_But there's nothing there_, Akio signaled.

"That's what he wants us to think. Come on."

Akio took his sister by hand, cautiously going first. He experimented with his hand, prodding the wall, but found that his tan hand went straight through it.

_You were right_, He motioned, patting his sister's back, _let's go_.

The two sunk through the wall and reappeared in a darkened tunnel. Aiko, unable to see the darkness, asked her brother why he was hesitating.

Unexpectedly, torches on the wall spontaneously lit up, causing the path to become clear. A voice from above beckoned them closer.

"Come, now, Akivi," The velvet tone coaxed, "your loved one is waiting."

"Let's go, Akio!" Aiko swiftly growled, "Even if this is a trap; we need to save her!"

_You're right, but I have a bad feeling_.

"It doesn't matter. We just need to stick together and everything will be okay, right?"

_Right, I guess._

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Hiromi had two vases of flowers. One was filled with Forget-Me-Not's, pink roses, and jasmines. It was for Kotone. The other had hydrangeas and yarrows. It was for Neji.

Sure, not all of them went together, but it was more for the symbolism than the beauty. It was not like Kotone could see the flowers anyway.

It was early morning, so not many people were about. The fair-haired girl had not been able to sleep. Her dreams haunted her.

The genin slipped into Neji's hospital room, quickly replacing the flowers from yesterday with the new ones she had purchased. She set them up precisely before looking over to Neji. He didn't seem as though he were about to die, so she was relieved. Before Hiromi could mess with his hair like the day before, she left the room, suddenly sober by her thoughts of Kotone.

_She was so strong! How could such a traumatic thing happen to her.._ It just wasn't fair.

"You're Kimiko's teammate. Right?"

It just wasn't right that someone as promising and skilled as Kotone was .. dead.

"You."

Hiromi flinched, nearly dropping her vase, turning and gaping with shock at Gaara, who was in his default pose, "Oh! Huh? What?"

He looked annoyed as he repeated, "You're Kimiko's partner, right?"

The fair-haired girl solemnly played with the petal of one of the pink roses, "Y-yeah."

"Her body.. is missing."

This time she really did drop the vase.

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"What? Grave robbers?!" Tsunade-sama asked, outraged.

"Not necessarily _grave_ robbers considering it was .. it was just Kotone, but her body is definitely gone! I checked everywhere!" Hiromi explained.

Behind her, Gaara had his arms crossing, a beautiful ornament dangling from one hand. He seemed slightly irked by it.

"Well, how on earth could they have gotten in there without the medical ninja's noticing?" Tsunade mumbled.

Unexpectedly Shizune piped in, "They could've been patients here already! It could've all been an elaborate scheme to get their hands on Kotone's jutsu!"

Realization smacked Tsunade in the face and she slammed her hands on her desk, "THE TWINS! I WANTALLOF YOU TO SEARCH FOR KOTONE AND THOSE (Curse.) FOREIGN SIBLINGS!"

Hiromi squeaked and bolted out of the room with a hurried "Y-yes, ma'am!" and Gaara followed, lagging behind.

"Shizune gather up Hanako and Maiko! They'd be upset if they weren't searching as well! God (curse.) it! I never should've let them stay!"

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Akio tripped, causing a loud splash to be heard throughout the tunnel. This wasn't good. They had been wandering for hours. That (curse.) was just teasing them.

Aiko rapidly began to look around to try and find her brother, but ending up falling also, shocked by her loss of direction.

"Akio?" She meekly asked.

Speedily, the male went to her side, hugging her shoulder.

_I'm here. _

"Oh, good. I feel like my stomach is eating itself.. We've been wandering for centuries!"

_You're being a bit dramatic. _

"I'm sorry. I'm just so hungry."

Without warning, the two suddenly dropped down into the water, some sort of trap having been sprung, the two fell for a quick moment, water in their lungs, and landed harshly on cold stone, causing Aiko to cry out in pain and Akio to make some sort of dying animal noise due to his vocal cords.

"Ah, I'm glad the two of you finally made it. I mean, really, how long does it take to spring a trap?"

The twins helped each other up and Akio explained, in code, to his sister their surroundings.

The man in purple was up above them, in a medieval throne. There were vines crawling all around them, as though the palace-like area had been forgotten over time. The throne next to the enemy was turned into the opposite direction.

"Why isn't Akuma, here, hm?" Aiko asked.

The man stiffened, playing with his strawberry blonde strands.

"Well, you see.. I killed him."

Akio let out a strangled gasp and Aiko bit her bottom lip.

"He was such an annoying older brother, I'm sure you've felt the same way, Akivi, and well, he didn't quite agree with my magnificent plan.. Honestly.. I can handle myself."

The man in purple rose, the tails of his jacket still pointed despite his sitting down.

"So I've decided that with Akuma's death, I have been reborn! My name is different from when I last saw Akivi, and I am now Akuhei [Means 'evil']!"

"Akuhei, huh? How appropriate. Now, where is the princess?" Aiko asked firmly.

The indigo gentleman chuckled before laying a gloved man on the throne beside him.

"My love? She is here, of course."

"She's not yours!" Aiko furiously yelled.

"And she's not yours, either, woman."

_Aiko, calm down. Arguing with him won't help_, Akio reasoned silently.

"You're right, I'm sorry," The girl responded in a quiet whisper.

"You two see, my precious needs some repairs; she's been misbehaving herself lately.. Not obeying my orders.. So I decided I'm going to take her back to the Azuma no sabaku [East Desert] and keep here there, where all her malfunctions will be solved!"

"I thought you've been hiding her all this time for a reason" Aiko frowned.

"Well, yes," Akuhei sighed, "It was to keep her away from _you_, but now I am going to kill the both of you, so it doesn't quite matter anymore, does it?"

In pomp, the indigo chap turned the throne around with little difficulty and the two twins' jaws dropped.

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**.**

Maiko checked underneath the hospital stretcher. Hiromi looked in any of the cabinets. Hanako checked for foreign chakra. Gaara stood by watching uselessly, as though he was only present for the ride.

"Honesty!" The tomboy of the bunch growled, "What kind of sick (curse.) would want a dead person!"

Her eyes were still red from her constant tears, but Hanako looked unfazed.

"There were people here, alright," She explained, "One of them used some chakra to find something and then they just randomly disappear."

Maiko leaned beside the door, taking a slight break.

"This is just so tiring! I mean, where could they be?"

In the spur of the moment, she turned out and punched the wall behind her.

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"OW! (Curse.)!"

"Would you take this seriously, you idiot?!"

"I am taking this seriously! I am (curse.)ing pissed!"

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There she was, as beautiful looking as she was the day she saved Akio and Aiko's lives. Her appearance had changed majorly, considering Akuhei wished to conceal her. Her whole getup was as white as snow, and her dress was lacy and elegant. Akio glared viciously at Akuhei as the man in indigo pet Amaterasu's head.

"Isn't she attractive? She's grown since you two saw her, huh? But thanks to you two, and this picturesque princess's kindness, I was able to make her mine."

Aiko spat, "I wish I could see her, but, oh wait, you gouged my eyes out!"

Akuhei laughed heartily, "Are you really still upset about that? Honestly, that's not a good look for you Akivi. You should just relax. I mean, I can just describe her to you. She's gorgeous, delightful, charming, wonderful, stunning, fine-looking, good-looking, etc.! She's .. my magnificent creation."

Then he pressed his lips against Amaterasu's and Akio let out a strangled cry. Aiko seemed to understand and roared angrily.

"You idiot! She's not yours! You don't own her! Leave her alone!"

"I don't know if you heard me correctly, but she _came to me_. I didn't _force _her to do _anything_. Honestly! No wonder you Akivi were looked down upon! You're all idiots!"

Akio lunged forward, performing a hand sign in the shape of a diamond. His sister sensed his charka and completed her own diamond seal, calling out her jutsu, unlike her sibling.

"Earth style! Earthquake jutsu! Magnitud-"

"Ah-ah-ah," Akuhei shook his finger delicately from side to side, "Don't you think you should be more careful?"

Teasingly, he motioned towards Amaterasu, and shook his head.

"You guys could've killed my wife!"

"She's not your wife!" Aiko snarled.

"Oh," Akuhei kissed the girl again, "But she is."

This time, the two siblings went straight into action.

"Earth style! Earthquake jutsu! Magnitude five!"

_Water style. Water dragon jutsu!_

In a beautiful array, a shining dragon made purely of H2O appeared from thin air, and the ground began to shake violently. Akuhei ensured that nothing damaged Amaterasu and sliced Akio's jutsu in half with his own palm. The earthquake barely made him stumble.

"You two are no match for me.. This won't be any fun at all.. But perhaps.. You'll do better against my love?"

Tears flew to Akio's eyes as suddenly the deathly still figure of his true love began to move, pick up a sword that the twins had not noticed earlier, with movements so familiar that Akio could not help but remember when she saved him and his sister form the slave drivers.

Aiko shook her brother nervously, "What's going on? What's happening?"

_Amaterasu.. Is moving. She has a sword. We're going to have to fight her. Are you ready? _

The beautiful maiden nodded nervously, "Yeah. I'm ready."

Akuhei sat back in his throne, smiling creepily as Amaterasu inspected her sword. He truly loved her. And she truly loved him.

"Amaterasu. My dear."

When there was no response, Akuhei frowned angrily.

"KOTONE."

"Yes, Master?" The girl deadpanned.

"You need to learn to respond to Amaterasu, now, love! That _is _your true name, it is. That other name died with your last death! And now, since I repaired you, you are my damsel again. Now, tell me you love me."

"I love you."

"Ah~! Music to my ears! Now, fight for me. Kill these idiotic fools, just as I killed Akuma. That big meanie who was always telling you what to do."

The lad's ramblings were ignored by Kotone as she charged forward with her sword in hand. The vibrations let Aiko know and she backed up some.

"I'll give you back up brother!"

Akio clicked his tongue in response before dashing forward, a diamond shape with his hands once more.

_Water style. Ice weaponry jutsu!_

In an instant, the water in the air turned to ice, freezing itself to Akio's arms. On his left was a sharp point that could be used as a sword. On his right was an axe-like weapon. Amaterasu was unfazed.

And thus, the battle began.

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Who am I?

Was I ever something?

Who is Kotone Kimiko?

Was she someone I knew?

Why do I feel like I knew her?

Am I she?

But my Master tells me I am Amaterasu..

It means heaven or sky.

But who am I?

And who was I?

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**.**

Back and forth the battle went between Akio and Amaterasu. Aiko provided the dynamic attack ever few minutes, and as Akuhei watched he was becoming aggravated. Very aggravated.

"Why, this isn't fair at all! My darling is more powerful than the two of you combined, but it isn't fair two against one!"

Akio let out a smothered gasp.

_He's going to go after Aiko!_

"Yes, I believe I'll join this little skirmish."

In an instant, Akuhei was before Aiko, and if it weren't for her reflexes (from the vibrations) she would have had her head chopped off by the gentleman's swift kick. It wouldn't have been lethal had it not been for the hidden blades hutting from his calves and knee.

Akio ducked to dodge Kotone's weapon, anxiously watching Akuhei attempt to strangulate his sister. This couldn't happen. Not again. Last time he took his sister's sight; what may he take this time? Her life? He would never be able to live without Aiko. Even if he was able to live the life he's always wanted with Amaterasu; he couldn't go on without his sister.

Aiko yelped as the sharp blade sliced her cheek. She jumped further back and listened closely. It was hard. The last time they had fought, it was challenging, but now she couldn't see. She was useless, really.

In a swift move, Aiko was on the ground, bleeding excessively from her forearm. Panicking in her blindness, she felt around for anything that could help her.

"Akio! Akio! Akio!" She yelled.

Her older brother dealt a kick to Amaterasu's abdomen before diving to his sister's aid, but it was too late. Akuhei was raising a blade with a sickly sweet smile.

And then, something strange happened.

.

.

.

.

**Amaterasu stabbed Akuhei through the heart, in such a rapid movement that Akio barely saw the sword go into his chest.**

Aiko felt the blood on her skin and she screamed, backing away and asking alertly who had died.

The man in purple dropped to his knees, facing his dearest with such a shocked expression it was almost funny.

"B-but.. Amaterasu.. I gave you eternal life.. I gave you everything.. We loved each other.."

The girl closed her eyes and remembered, unlike she had ever before.

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When the little girl with green eyes and brown hair woke up, she was in a homey cave that almost seemed like a cottage. She was covered appropriately by a blanket, and there was a hot cup of cocoa beside her. Hastily, Amaterasu poured it down her throat, soothing her frozen condition.

"How are you feeling?"

The girl turned and looked to the source of the noise, finding a handsome man who looked like a heavenly prince. She smiled.

"I'm feeling much better thanks to this hot cocoa. Thank you very much, sir."

"It's no problem. But what were you doing in this river? Judging by your paleness, you're royalty."

"I could say the same to you, sir."

The man sang a musical laughter and his crimson eyes sparkled.

"Why, I am no such thing! I just don't get out much, you see. I'm a .. scientist of sorts. I live out on the river so that the king can't use my research."

"What are you researching, sir?" Amaterasu asked.

The man smirked, "Eternal youth."

So, the two introduced themselves, and Amaterasu fell in love with Haku. She spent many days there until she was a little taller and Haku loved her back as well, despite their age. Then it happened.

"Amaterasu.. I'm getting older."

"Well, of course."

Haku frowned, "No, that's not it. I just want to be able to marry you."

At the thought of marriage, Amaterasu giggled, "That sounds like fun!"

"Yes," Haku smiled, "it does."

"But I'm much too young for that."

"Which is why.. I'd.. I'd like for you to let me try something."

"Try what?"

"I want to freeze time."

"What? That's ridiculous!"

"No, no! It's not! I can make you and me young forever!"

Thinking he was joking, Amaterasu smiled, "And what will the cost be for that eternal youth?"

"Your heart."

The girl chuckled, "Okay, Haku. You can take my heart and make us immortal so we can live forever! Okay?"

"Okay," Haku smirked, "okay."

And thus, that night, the blonde fellow woke Amaterasu up at an awful hour and put a hand to her chest.

"What are you doing?" She asked.

"Taking your heart."

Using his jutsu, he ripped out the soul of Amaterasu and the girl collapsed, the personality, life, and color drained from her. She was a white doll.

Haku made himself immortal that day. But upon the discovery of his dead darling, he made her a human puppet. Unfortunately, though, he realized that he needed to hide his creation. He sought help from his brother Akuma and the two created a plan for their dearest friend to hide her from whoever may seek her in a different land, and they settled on Konoha.

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**.**

Amaterasu gripped her forehead, unsure of how to react to all the memories flooding her mind.

"You.. you created Kotone.."

"I did.. I did it because I wanted to live forever by your side!" Akuhei sputtered.

"Haku.. I .."

The man in the purple suite smiled sadly, "I'm not sorry. I could've made it work. We could've lived forever. But something Akuma and I didn't even think of happened."

"What?"

"You developed feelings.. No matter how badly Akuma treated you.. Making you feel pain whenever you did wrong.. You always disobeyed."

Aiko spoke up finally, lost, but present, "Quit this! You killed her! You killed Amaterasu!"

"Of course I didn't; I loved her too much you idiot!" Haku growled, "I could have never just sucked out her soul completely.. There was always that one whisper.. That faint remembrance of how she used to be.. And that is why I didn't succeed."

"You.. You.. ripped out my soul.. Where is it.. Where am I..?"

Before Akuhei could answer, his eyes began to fade and he looked up at Amaterasu with tears dripping down his face.

"I .. I love you.."

His words meant nothing, and suddenly, his age was revealed, his face covered in wrinkles, and he disappeared into ashes.

.

.

.

.

Amaterasu collapsed, and Akio caught her swiftly.

"What just happened?" Aiko asked.

_I don't quite know myself, but it seems like we've got her back.. And now we can go back home._

"But who was Kotone?"

_Kotone.. The puppet, perhaps? _

"Poor Amaterasu.. It almost feels like she's just as doll with two souls fighting each other.."

_I think…. I think she'll be okay. _

"I hope so.."

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.. I am .. Who I chose to be..

And I chose.. to be myself.

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**A/N: Thank you for reading! I really appreciate it! I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and you're looking forward to the final chapter of The Puppet and the Puppeteer!**

**Thanks to.. **

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><p><strong><strong>{Reviewers}

[suzie1107] - LOLOLOL EVERYONE CALLED IT DANG IT. Yes, Kotone is revived c: Gaara was the one who was with Kotone in her last moments c: Yes she is pregnant shhhh c; do not tell! Like seriously XD I wanted it to be a surprise! Okay, twins were some slaves in Kotone's homeland, East Desert, and she saved them from being executed but ending up jumping out of the boat she was using and 'drowning', but was really found by Haku. Hope that helps c:

[xasianbuddyx] - It was Gaara, buddy c: She's alive :D Everyone called it and knew she was coming back.. dang it XD Oh well C: This didn't take me TOO long, so here you are :D

[Yamiroo Alice] - Aw, she's okay, don't worry c: Oh my ;D I'm glad you liked my suspense! Hope you like this chapter too c:

[DaNarwhal] - Awww, it's okay C; Geez I feel really bad for kinda killing her off XD Oh, I'm so glad people actually liked her c: I thought some people may have thought she was weird! Hope you like this chapter, bro :D

[MaoIsSleepy] - It was? YES! I'm glad it had that effect c: Heheeh Kotone is your favorite? That's so sweet of you XD Here's your update :o I hope it was fast

[bored411] - It was Gaara XD She's not dead don't worry c: Please read this new chapter at your leisure!

[Omigesh] - Mmmmm Sasori XD I love all of the Akatsuki! They are great c: If I had to be one of them I would probably be Deidara because I like to think I'm cool but I'm really not and I get annoyed sometimes XD And he's smexy so I wanna be like him XD She came back to life c: don't worry. I'm glad you like her :')

[ ] - (Chapter 17) I WILL FIX THAT IF I HAVE A CHANCE OMG THAT IS AWFUL I DIDN'T EVEN NOTICE OMG FORGIVE ME I OIHSLDHF?LSDKHF LKJ PLEASE ENJOY THIS KITTEN WHILE I GO FIX ALL MY MISTAKES OMG I'M AN IDIOT UGHH

(Chapter 20) - awwww thank you c: I thought maybe no one found that funny so that really helps c: Kotone x Itachi was sorta like neither of them wanted to talk to each other XD Sorry if that was confusing. I hope you enjoy these more current chapters :D

(Chapter 25) - Yay :D Hahaha yay XD That makes me happy c: Yeah there'll be a sequel c: I just need to finish Shippuden first so I know how to plan out all this crap XD OMG REALLY YAYAYAY KANNA! Kotone is a little different, but you know yayayayaya! :D That makes me happy! Here's the second to last chapter before sequel time :D

[Eternal Cat Moon] - LOLOL TRUE DAT. She probably won't ever do that again, so please enjoy V.V I just kinda needed her to die XD sorry about that! You are awesome. I'm sorry if that's random but you are c: Hope you enjoy this chapter!

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><p><span>Favoritings\ 

{RedSombrero} - Thank you c:

{BONED} - I LOVE YOUR NAME.

{ } - Thank you for your kindness v.v

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><p><span>[Followers]<span>

/BONED\ - I LOVE IT.

/tamy0998\ - Hi there c: Thank you for being here~!

\ - Hello there again :D I love you!

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><p><strong><strong>**A/N: I apologize if I forgot you~! This next chapter will be the last of The Puppet and the Puppeteer, so please do enjoy and be patient since I am lazy and I take a long time v.v **


	28. Chapter 27  Finale

**A/N: Good afternoon, everyone! I'm just here to say THANK YOU. THANK YOU readers. THANK YOU reviewers. THANK YOU followers. THANK YOU all. This is the FINAL chapter of 'The Puppet and the Puppeteer', so I'm going to just lay down the law.**

**I really appreciate all of you. A LOT. So, without further a do, please do enjoy the finale!**

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Akio held Amaterasu's body. He guessed that dying took quite the toll on her. But he was still taken back by her strength. Not only had she gain back the control of her own body, but she killed Akuhei. She was _amazing. _

"What does she look like, brother?" Aiko asked.

_Well, she's got long white hair, and pale skin. _

"So she's not the Amaterasu we knew?"

_She wouldn't have saved you if she wasn't. _

"I suppose you're correct.. But I just want to be able to see her.."

_I'm sorry. _

"It's okay."

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"You didn't find _anything_?" Tsunade asked, biting her thumb nail.

"Nothing at all, Hokage-sama" Hanako responded, her expression solemn.

Shizune sighed, "And there are no signs of the twins either."

"There was evidence of some foreign chakra in Kotone's hospital room," Hanako piped in, "But its trail cut off randomly at the door."

"Does that mean they took the body and booked it out of there?" Maiko asked.

Hiromi shook her head, "I don't think so. Someone would've caught them!"

Unexpectedly, the door swung open in a graceful manner. Something about the air changed and the women in the room (Gaara had disappeared hours ago) eyed the entrance warily.

"What do you want?" Tsunade growled, "We're in an important meeting!"

"I do believe that what we have to say is more important."

Without warning, the twins entered the room, with a figure on Akio's back, and immediately Hiromi verified who it was.

"_Kotone_! You guys really were the thieves!"

Aiko hissed, facing the wrong direction embarrassingly, "We would never steal her body! She's not dead anyways! She's unconscious!"

Hanako whipped out a kunai, her expression hardened, "Put her down immediately."

Akio rearranged his grip on Kotone firmly. His countenance displayed his determination.

"Let her go!" Hiromi hollered, tears springing to her eyes, "She's gone! She's not _unconscious_! Tsunade-sama established that she's _dead_!"

"Well, you were wrong," Aiko upheld, "Amaterasu-hime will be perfectly fine with the help of _your_ abilities, Hokage-sama."

Tsunade huffed, "I'm not helping a bunch of thieves mess around with a dead person."

Kotone's eyes opened out of the blue and she looked around curiously.

"Where is Akuhei?" She asked.

The room was silent with pure astonishment. Kotone Kimiko.. is _alive_?

"He's gone. We destroyed the exit he made after you killed him," Aiko clarified.

"K-kotone..?" Maiko queried, her knees wobbling visibly.

The insipid girl looked down from her perch on Akio's back at her teammate and responded, "Yes, Maiko Arakawa?"

In a flurry of movement, Hiromi fell to the ground to sob and Maiko jumped forward and punched Akio in the face. Hanako threw her kunai at Aiko, but the foreigner ducked in the nick of time, and the weapon broke a window.

"Akio, Aiko, halt." Kotone deadpanned.

Shockingly, the two siblings ceased what they were doing and knelt at the impassive girl's sides, since she had gracefully slipped off Akio's back.

Tsunade smacked her desk in an angry fit.

"What on _earth_ is going on here? How are you alive!?"

"You would not comprehend the situation, so I shall narrow it to plainer words. I am alive because I chose to be myself."

Maiko snarled, "That doesn't make any sense!"

"Understood," Kotone said, expressionless, "There is no other way to explain the circumstances, so I suggest there be no more questions asked."

The room was silent except for Hiromi's sniveling.

Aiko whispered, "Milady, I say we just leave this village and go back home."

Amaterasu didn't respond, but looked up at the Hokage. For some reason, the pallid genin looked so much older in her elegant attire.

"The three of us will leave the moment the order is given. Hokage-sama, I suggest you do not misunderstand. Aiko and Akio are not thieves."

"Then why the (curse.) was your body missing in the first place?" Tsunade gritted.

Hanako sighed, "I have a feeling neither of you is going to tell the truth."

"I'm afraid you would not believe the truth," Aiko replied.

There was a moment of awkward stillness before Shizune coughed and Tsunade stood up, turning towards the window behind her, eyeing the village unsurely.

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"All of you get out! Kotone, I want a moment with you alone."

Hanako helped Hiromi out of the room and dragged Maiko with her. The twins worriedly exited as well, with their silent obedience to Amaterasu. Shizune rushed out as well to ensure no fighting took place.

When everyone was gone but the Hokage and the princess, the explanation began.

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Hiromi groomed her golden locks. Today was the last day. She needed to get ready.

She stripped from her pajamas and leapt into her training clothing, tying her right red Leaf headband around her waist.

The fair-haired maiden glared into her azure eyes before sighing. It was the last day, so she needed to say goodbye.

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Maiko tied her forehead protector tight, brushing her bangs over the cold metal. She slipped on a slack black shirt with long sleeves that covered her fingers and grey shorts before leaping out her open window and looking up at the depressed sky. It was very early in the morning. She could be leaving any time soon.

A heartfelt goodbye would feel nice.

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"I want your group gone in three days."

Amaterasu nodded, "Understood."

"This is just because," Tsunade sighed, "You're practically unidentified and nameless.

"Understood. We will leave the moment the sun rises on the third day."

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Maiko and Hiromi met up at the training area. Hanako was not present.

"Can you believe it?" The lanky tomboy asked, her arms crossed behind her head.

Her shorter friend shook her head, "It's not right that Kotone's leaving. With those weirdo's too."

"Maybe they really are her friends."

"I guess they could be.."

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"Man, the sun really is pale so early in the morning, huh."

"Yes, it's truly beautiful."

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Hiromi and Maiko turned to each other and hollered.

"The SUN?!" The green-haired genin groaned, "We're not gonna be able to say 'bye' to Kotone!"

"We just need to run! To the gates! Let's go!"

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Kotone looked around at her empty apartment. There was no emotional tug as she packed her few things (her shoes, her kimono and her sword) and she handed the keys to the room back to the owner with no struggle.

She changed back into her daily attire and had Aiko bury the lacy outfit given to her by Haku. Akio told her that Kotone should wash out her mouth as well, but she didn't see the reason behind it, so she didn't.

Amaterasu and her guides warily made their way to the gates. Aiko told her that they were being followed, and Kotone knew just who was coming.

"I suggest you two go on ahead. I would like to bid farewell to our pursuer."

Akio would've protested if he could, but his sister grabbed him and they slowly made their way ahead.

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"Sabaku no Gaara."

Said Sand ninja appeared in front of Amaterasu and they shared an appropriate peacefulness.

"This .. is yours," he said suddenly.

He held out his palm, and in it rested a small trinket made of sand. Kotone stared at it awkwardly.

"I do not remember ever having such a beautification."

"I'm giving it to you.. As a .. sendoff."

Amaterasu reached out and placed her hand over Gaara's. He took note of how uncomfortable she seemed. Deciding that he did not wish to end the discomfited conversation, Gaara spoke.

"You were dead."

"You were there," she responded quickly, "and I do remember telling you something I wish to say again."

Gaara's hand stiffened. Ah, yes, she had whispered something so quietly he had not heard.

"And what was it."

Amaterasu grabbed the redhead's hand and pulled him closer in an inept embrace. Unsure of what to do with her other arm, it rested by her side. Hugging was a lot more difficult than it looked.

Leaning forward appropriately, she rested her chin on her friend's shoulder.

"_Thank you_."  
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The two left themselves in that strangely comfortable position until Kotone decided that hugs did not usually last this long (at least, thirty-four percent of them did not) and backed away, taking the small sand charm with her.

Amaterasu and Gaara faced each other for another long moment before she turned away.

"I am leaving now. There is only a fifteen percent chance that I will ever see you again, so I suggest you do not .. hold your breath."

Kotone then walked away, her geta making a noise that the Leaf Village would miss terribly.

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Maiko and Hiromi were panting like Akamaru after a chase with Kiba when they reached the gates.

"Oh no!" Hiromi puffed, "I can't see her anywhere!"

"Don't tell me she already left!" Maiko wheezed.

The two looked around hurriedly until the sound of geta hit their ears. They looked swiftly towards the area outside the gates and saw that the trio was already on the move, a fair distance away from Konoha already.

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"KOTONE!" Hiromi yelled, cupping her hands around her mouth.

The figure in the middle stopped and turned and Maiko could barely make out the features of Amaterasu's face.

"KOTONE! I'LL MISS YOU!" The blonde girl bellowed.

Kotone seemed to turn fully around to face her teammates.

Maiko joined in, raising a hand above her head and waving it wildly, calling out, "GOOD BYE! I'LL MISS THE (curse.) OUT OF YOU! COME BACK AND VISIT ALL THE TIME!"

The two girls stopped their yelling and began waving their arms gloomily. Their faces were sorrowful until they realized something.

"Look," Hiromi whispered, "I think she's waving back."

She was right, as Kotone was a distance away, waving in a similar motion to her teammates, with an unreadable expression. Akio smiled at the display.

Maiko shed some tears, a wide grin on her face, "Y-yeah… She's waving back.. Ha-ha… I've never seen her have so much emotion.."

"Yeah, you're right," Hiromi smiled, "I hope we see her again.. Someday.."

"Me too.."

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"FAREWELL, KIMIKO-SAN!"

The two girls leapt in their skins, hoping it wasn't their friends calling because they were holding in their sobs.

Hiromi let herself bawl when she saw her sensei, waving cheerfully as well, with her own tears slipping from her eyes.

"I'LL TAKE CARE OF THESE IDIOTS WHILE YOU'RE AWAY!"

"H-hey!" Maiko laughed sadly, "We're not idiots!"

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Amaterasu waved one final time before her form was no longer visible to her team, and Hanako, Maiko, and Hiromi were left alone. Unknown to all, Kotone's lips curved upward in a self-conscious smirk-like image as she slowly disappeared.

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Maiko smirked cheerfully. In her arms was a basket chock full of all sorts of unhealthy snacks.

"Yo! Choji!" She announced happily.

The door slammed open and the tomboy bounced into Choji's hospital room, scaring the life out of Shikamaru.

She dropped her basket full of goodies onto Choji's lap with a big grin.

"Enjoy! That cost me more than you'll ever imagine!"

Maiko collapsed onto the chair beside Shikamaru.

"You look .. happy," He said, his tone curious.

"Nah, I'm just relieved that everyone's okay."

"Well.. I mean, not everybody.." Shika trailed off.

Maiko smirked, "Yeah. Not everybody."

She looked up and let out a sigh. Kotone was gone, but that didn't mean that would stop her.

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"Ta-da! As good as new!" Hiromi smiled.

Kiba snatched the jacket cheerfully, checking out where holes and blood stains had once been.

"Wow, Hiromi! This is awesome!" He marveled, "It _really does_ look as good as new!"

The golden-haired girl giggled cheerfully, "Thanks! Just be more careful with it, okay? It looks like it'll barely survive any more years with you!"

"What?! Really? You aren't pulling my leg, are you, Hiromi?" Kiba asked, his expression shocked.

"Of course I'm not joking!" The damsel sighed, "And it looks like you've grown a bit, so I tried to make it a size larger."

Kiba slipped on the jacket and sighed in relief. It still fit from all those years ago when Hiromi made it.. He was grateful.

"It fits perfectly!" He smirked, his canines poking out boyishly.

Hiromi shook her head, picking up her bags with a small grin. Akamaru let out a small whimper at her departure, but she laid down a small bag by his nose and the dog sniffed it curiously.

"They're snacks," she clarified, "for if you get hungry."

She had slaved in the kitchen with her mother for hours trying to make a treat that Akamaru would like (and Kiba, since he always stole his dog's snacks) and it looked like those hours had paid off.

"So where ya headed now?" the Inuzuka boy asked.

Hiromi beamed, "I'm visiting Neji. He's still not feeling as well as you, but I've got to replace his flowers so they don't die."

Kiba hid his frown and nodded, watching his friend exit the room.

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Orochimaru was pleased. Very .. satisfied. Sasuke was _his_; his plan was in motion. What his did not expect, was a visit that day.

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Sasuke coarsened at the sight of the guests. His expression stayed the same, but his chakra began radiating angrily.

"I am here to speak with Orochimaru-san," said Kotone, tucking her snowy hair behind her ear.

Kabuto pushed his glasses up at the sight of her impassive expression and frowned.

"And just who are you?"

"Oh, just friends passing by!" Aiko lied quickly.

"Aiko," Amaterasu uttered, "Please do not lie to our.. acquaintances."

She turned to Kabuto and Sasuke, not even flinching at the sight of her friend, "Akuhei and Akuma are dead. I suggest you inform Orochimaru of this news. All of my master's knowledge has been lost."

Kabuto nodded and scurried out hurriedly, assuming _his_ master would need to know this news quickly. He did not think twice about leaving the strangers and Sasuke alone.

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"Why did you _really_ come here?" the Uchiha asked.

Aiko frowned, "Don't flatter yourself. Milady is only here because she wished to notify Orochimaru-san about his old friends' deaths."

Sasuke and Kotone stared at each other harshly until Akio grabbed his crush's arm, writing on it with his thumb.

_Let us leave now. This adolescent isn't worth your time. _

"Understood," Amaterasu stated plainly, "Farewell, Uchiha-san."

Sasuke watched with an unsure feeling in his stomach as the trio absconded.

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Hanako told Kakashi a week after Kotone's departure. If he was upset, he didn't show it, because he swept up his lover in his arms with a mighty, hidden smile and asked her hurriedly for some names.

The female jounin tucked her tresses behind her ear with her own grin. It was exciting and nerve-racking. She had told him after all these weeks of hiding… It gave her a wonderfully free feeling.

"I'm not going to stop training Maiko and Hiromi," Hanako informed Kakashi sternly, "even if I'm hours away from labor."

Her partner frowned, curling her hair around his finger in a friendly manner, "Now, now. Tsunade-sama and Shizune-san would never let you do such a rash thing.. I hope. You should take a break."

"And let this little punk," Hanako replied, patting her stomach, "Defeat me? I highly doubt it!"

Kakashi chuckled and the couple rested in a peaceful silence. The elegant jounin, wearing an appropriately traditional kimono, wrapped her pale arms around her lover's neck.

"What if it's a boy? What shall we name him?"

"Kakashi Junior."

"How about.. Obito?"

".. Yeah.. That sounds nice."

"And if it's a girl?"

"Kakashi Junior."

"Honestly! Be serious! This is our baby we're talking about!"

"Well then, Haru."

Hanako closed her eyes and let a tear slip down her cheek. She nestled closer to Kakashi with a small, sad smile.

"Yeah… Haru or Obito.. I like it."

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It took three weeks, four days, fourteen hours, sixteen minutes and twenty seven seconds. Kotone looked upon the tall gates with a sense of fondness, pressing her pale hand up against the old, dusty stone. Akio and Aiko walked a fair distance behind her, politely allowing the princess of the former kingdom to reminisce.

Amaterasu stepped through the gates, taking note of its resistance; No one had been here in ages. She continued forward and fondled the wall of a collapsing home, picking up a small, painted doll that seemingly disintegrated in her hands. In the back of her mind, Kotone recalled a little girl who had a similar one who always sang loudly when gathering water from the well.

The princess continued to roam until she reached the gates of the castle. They were once a pearly, clean color, but the price of time had colored them a rotten tan. She gently pushed them open and didn't notice Aiko and Akio's disappearance as she entered the throne room. Suddenly, the rust and dirt was gone and in its place stood marble walls and gorgeous jewels strewn about. There were three thrones at the front of the room and there were three figures sitting upon them. The largest held a man with dark hair and cold green eyes. He seemed to fondly glance to the smallest throne on his left. A woman with dazzling blue eyes and long hair with a crown upon her head with ornaments hanging off it attractively sat upon the second largest throne. And then, Amaterasu stared at the figure upon the smallest chair.

It was a small girl with a haughty expression, yet a humble posture. Her coffee hair was short, and combed to perfection, and her green eyes scanned the room hurriedly, the child's mind filled with curiosity. Upon her head laid a small tiara that sparkled finely. She didn't seem to notice her father's friendly gaze.

Suddenly, in a swift motion, the entire image disappeared and Kotone found herself in a crumpling room painted with dust. She found herself picturing the crown given to her by Akuma and Haku, and realized that she had once wore it as the princess of this place.

Amaterasu swiftly exited the room, her expression somehow thoughtful and deep. She traveled down the hallways swiftly, but eventually slowed to stop, turning to her right and noticing that the court yard had been flooded except for a small area where Aiko and Akio had perched themselves. Kotone leaned against the railing and looked closely at her friends.

Yes. They were her friends now. Weren't they?

Akio seemed to be reading a book to his sister in his own fashion, writing upon Aiko's arm the secret code the Akivi had created. The dark female seemed to understand the code, as well, sometimes gasping in shock or smiling appreciatively. Amaterasu guessed it was book they had found in the slaves' chambers, where the Akivi were usually kept.

Behind her, two ghostly figures formed. One was a tall man, his paranormal arm protectively around his partner's waist. She seemed to tenderly gaze at him until the two turned their regards to Kotone, who was oblivious to their appearance.

They were her parents.

"_We're so proud of you.. Amaterasu.._" Lady Arisu whispered, her voice similar to a small bell.

"_We truly are,_" Her husband added, his voice silent as well, "_we love you, Amaterasu._"

Kotone twisted around hurriedly, looking around alertly, but finding no one there. She warily viewed the hallways, but did not discover any other people.

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><p><strong>AN:**

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**Thank you ALL for reading! I appreciate and love every single one of you! This story would not have been possible without YOU! :D **

**The sequel, which is nameless at the moment, will be released, hopefully, soon!**

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><p><strong>Thanks to... <strong>

****{Reviewers}

_[suzie1107]_ - Don't worry, I shall explain V.V Akuma IS the guy who was commanding Kotone around all the time. Kotone IS Amaterasu. Amaterasu WAS the voice fighting Akuma. Akio LOVES Amaterasu c: She is NOT dead anymore, and is back at her homeland, according to this chapter. Amaterasu and Kotone are the same person. Considering that Kotone is what you are used to, I just flipflop between calling her Amaterasu and Kotone, so you can gradually get used to both of them. She still has the pale appearance c: V.V I hope that explains everything.

There will be a sequel c: I swear. Thank you for reviewing and being here with me all this time! I hope you have enjoyed your experience reading 'The Puppet and the Puppeteer'.

_[sushi-unicorn]_ - I shall explain V.V Gaara was there to give reinforcements, but was too late. I'm sorry if that chapter was confusing :c It just had to be done! Yes, this is the last chapter c: That MAKES ME SO HAPPY THAT YOU ARE SAD NOT THAT I LIKE SADNESS IT'S JUST THAT S:DGHSLKDGH SO MUCH APPRECIATION FOR YOU I hope you enjoyed 'The Puppet and the Puppeteer' :)

_[Eternal Cat Moon]_ - THANK YOU~ I will gladly explain :D Amaterasu was the princess. She had her soul ripped out by Akuhei, or Haku. So, she became a puppet named Kotone Kimiko. I hope that explains that V.V feel free to ask more questions.

I added more Gaara x Kotone in this chapter c: I hope you liked it.

Here, my friend, is the final update of 'The Puppet and the Puppeteer'. I hope you have enjoyed it all this time. Thank you for your support all this time c:

_[Animefangirl95]_ - (Chapter 26) - Wow, thank you very much for you kindness XD Temari was DEFINITELY jealous ;) Yay c: I'm sorry about that :c It just had to be done in order to explain everything! In this chapter, you kinda see Kotone accept who she really is V.V

(Chapter 25) - Ah, thank you :D I am not really confident in my 'Fight scene' abilities, so that really makes me happy XD Thank you c: I was hoping that wasn't cheesy or anything :D GOOD THING SHE'S DEAD WHOOOOOO

Anyways, thank you for your support all this time! Thank you for putting up with all my late updates and laziness.. Thank you c:

_[MaoIsSleepy]_ - Here is the final chapter c: I hope it lived up to its expectations! I am going to make a sequel :D

**BTW I NEED HELP MAKING A NEW TITLE YOU GUISE OMG **

Anyways, yeah XD like EVERYONE called Kotone coming back :D I was really excited for the surprise, but you all figured it out :)

Thank you for all your kindness and support V.V I hope you will continue to follow my stories. Thank you for everything!

_[Tough chick]_ - Thank you very much~ :D thank you for all of your reviews and encouragement v.v I really appreciate you. Thanks for everything!

_[Yamiroo Alice] _- Me too c: THEY BONDED I SWEAR. THEY BONDED IN THIS CHAPTER. Yes, you did c:

Thank you for supporting me all this time - I really appreciate all of your encouragement c:

_[ ] _- Censored? v: That shouldn't happen! Tell me if it happens again, and I will go back and fix it c: I love replying to you guys XD I just want everyone to know that I love them c: I will probably throw in a bonus chapter so I can thank you all again XD

1 - I will DEFINITELY go back and fix that XD If laziness doesn't just, you know, come over me :D :} Omg you are so sweet. You have a brilliant mind too my love ;) OMG I FEEL LIKE Shigure and Ayame from Fruits basket... hehehee XD you can have all the kittens you want :D

2 - I'M SO SORRIAHDKJ:SDH AHAHA SIBLINGS WHAT WHAT hadfgkladfhg XD Itachi doesn't seem like the kind of guy who would strike the conversation :O he needs a bubbly, happy woman! Someone like.. Matsumoto from Bleach or or or Tohru from Fruits Basket :) and Kotone doesn't act by her feelings so she wouldn't talk either XD

3 - LOLOLOL THANK YOU SO MUCH. But it's really not a masterpiece ._. it's just me, sitting with my creepily dark hair (i am the reincarnation of that chic from 'Wallflower' whose name escapes me and Sadako/Sawako from Kimi ni Todoke... minus all the romance) typing away with a bowl of ice cream beside me :D I don't even prepare XD sometimes I'm just like, "Alright, Fujioka, let's do this c'mon let's go huptwo march march march" and I don't get anything done X)

YOU DID?! Don't cry D: she's alive don't cry don't be sad. THINK ABOUT HAPPY THINGS. THE SEQUEL YESH ERMAGERD THE SEQUEL.

4 - YEAAAUHHHH ;D That's what he gets for being a pedophile! Aww, really? I thought I was being tacky by making him do that, but you know what XD I'm glad it worked out!

Why are you confused :O it was just her sitting there and Gaara's sand coming in like 'ermagersh Kotone let me save youuu.' Ask me any questions you like and I shall explain c:

*wiggles eyebrows back* there's some more in this chapter ;P Please do enjoy.

AND THEN SHE WAS GONE GEEZ WHY'D I PICK SOMETHING SO SADLY DRAMATIC

Anyways, *composes self* I really appreciate you and your encouragement v.v thank you for everything you've done!

_[bored411] _- Yeah it is :o should I have made it longer..? sorry D: Aww, thank you c: that's very sweet of you. Oh, what did you think of Gaara's reaction? was it OOC? :o please do tell!

Thank you for reviewing, but most of all, thank you for supporting me through this long authoristic journey v.v you are appreciated VERY MUCH.

_[xasianbuddyx] _- Just let it all out v.v It's okay. Yes, I know XD This was a very short story! Yes, there shall be a sequel c: I hope you can help me think of a title.

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><p><span>Followers\ 

_{Unlawfultears}_-Thank you very much for you kindness v.v

_{tearlessnight} _- .. Guise. Guise. The story is over. Guise. Srsly. Just kidding c: You can do whatever you want, lovely.

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><p><strong>AN: I hope you enjoyed the finale! BTWs, I need to share with you before you go a dream I had that involved Neji. **

**And Hiromi. **

**No, I'm not going to pair them together XD He's mine o.o **

**Anyways, so it was just completely AMAZING. So, apparently, Hiromi made a wish to like Ursula from The Little Mermaid that she wanted to stay with Neji forever. So, she ran after him since he was walking away (MIGHT I MENTION HE HAD HIS HAIR IN A PONYTAIL SEXY SEXY SEXY MMM) and she was like, "Hey Neji, if you can catch me, I'll kiss you!" AND THAT'S WHAT WENT DOWN. HE CHASED HER. AND IT WAS SEXY.**

**In the end, the dream ended before they kissed and I was sad :c but oh well :v**

**BESIDES THE POINT. **

**Please submit your ideas and questions for the sequel v.v I love to hear from you guys, though now I don't really have a way of communication until the sequel comes out.. Hehehe.. Oh well :f Just now that I am here.**

**WATCHING. **

**jk c: **

**I love you all and I hope you're all surviving the school year! :D Please do look forward to the sequel of the Puppet and the Puppeteer!**

(extra line derp)


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